Dead Sea Scrolls

Dead Sea Scrolls

Introduction

A visit to the UK, mainly to study modern impact engineering at UMIST, by an expert in the subject from the MED, in Haifa, Israel, at one point in a general discussion took off on a different topic of mutual interest, namely the Dead Sea Scrolls 1. It was surprising to find how little, few of the younger generation present at the ad hoc discussion, knew of the first events surrounding the subject. Reflecting on this lack of acquaintanceship led older members to observe that there are indeed reports of new findings of scrolls of the same age as those first found in the same region, but few which recapitulate the history of the opening of the original scrolls.

This topic itself relates to the early history of Christianity and Jewish theology, and to Roman occupation of the area at the time of the birth of Jesus. The emergence of any new knowledge about the beliefs and writings of the religious sects in the centuries either side of the birth of Jesus Christ, almost always causes friction and controversy between scholars about, among other things, the origins of Christianity. However, in reporting new discoveries there is seldom mention of the practical techniques early developed to facilitate the opening of scrolls without causing damage, so that they can be easily read.

The task of cutting the first scrolls was a very important one not only because it was one which had not been previously carried out but because it was being performed on artefacts which were, at the time, unique and irreplacable. Had the task failed, those who carried it out would have had to shoulder the opprobrium entailed. The opening of the scrolls not only required technical excellence but courage as well. Strangely, the work was not carried out 'on site' or in neighbouring laboratories but rather, well away in Manchester, England—once the world centre of manufacturing and machine-tool development! To recall what led to the series of practical events which resulted, is a primary purpose of this paper.

The man of courage and technical competence at the centre of this sterling effort was Professor Henry Wright Baker and here we describe his work in successfully unrolling the metal scrolls, and thus facilitating their reading by biblical scholars. Since the centenary of Professor Wright Baker's birth was passed only recently, we also take the opportunity to recite other notable features of his life's work.

The opening of the scrolls

The 11-page paper, entitled, Notes on the Opening of the 'Bronze' Scrolls from Qumran was the subject of a lecture by Professor Baker in the John Ryland's Library, Manchester2, in March, 1956. He wrote, “It is entirely through a chance conversation in a local3 train that (he) was asked, as an engineer, if it was possible to cut pieces from old and brittle bronze and gave it as his opinion that the cutting itself should present no special difficulty if fragmentation were prevented by the application to the exposed ...