In March of 1952, a cache of first century documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by Bedouins inside caves at Qumran, along the shores of the Dead Sea. The first fourteen scrolls contained literary works written on parchment or papyrus. The last scroll proved very different, as it was etched into a thin sheet of copper mixed with a small percentage of tin. At the time this copper sheet was created, this amount of metal with this level of purity would have been quite rare and valuable.
The Copper Scroll, when compared to the other scrolls, has a different script, language, style, and contains different content. Rather than literary works, this scroll contains a list of 64 locations and what treasures can be found there. Because of the Copper Scroll’s uniqueness, scholars believe that it was placed in the cave separately from the rest of the scrolls.
When first discovered, the Copper Scroll was corroded and could not be safely unrolled. In 1955, the scroll was cut into 23 sections and then pieced back together on a flat surface. The hebrew text within was found to be closer to the language of the Mishnah than to literary hebrew, which is what was found on the other scrolls. The text was transcribed by John Marco Allegro, who found a treasure map of sorts. The 64 locations that were listed made reference to specific amounts of gold and silver, along with tithing vessels and priestly vestments. It’s estimated that all of the described treasure has a value in excess of one billion dollars.
Scholars have theorized about the origins of the treasure. Some think it belonged to the First Jewish Temple that was destroyed in 586 BC by the king of Babylon. But since the Copper Scroll is dated between 25 AD and 100 AD, this is an unlikely hypothesis. Others think that the treasure came from the Second Temple, but no records are able to definitively prove or disprove this theory. Regardless of where the treasure came from, another possibility is that it was looted many years ago by the Romans.
Many people have attempted to find the lost valuables and nothing has been discovered yet. This treasure hunt is a particularly difficult one because the listed locations are written as if the reader had an intimate knowledge of obscure references. A couple examples include “In the salt pit that is under the steps: forty-one talents of silver” and “In the cave of the old washer’s chamber, on the third terrace: sixty-five ingots of gold.” There is no listed starting point, which makes many of these 2,000-year-old directions meaningless.
Several extensive treasure hunts were launched over the decades and potential burial places were excavated, but not one piece of treasure in association to the Copper Scroll has been found. Many treasure hunting attempts have been thwarted by Israeli government regulations and the political complications of the region. One prominent Copper Scroll treasure hunter, though met with hurdles and roadblocks for 30 years, has stated that he understands the government’s position. He speculated that anything of value that might be discovered could lead to immediate efforts to take it away from Israel, with surrounding nations potentially laying claim to discoveries. It could prove to be an geopolitical nightmare.
Today, the Copper Scroll is on display at the Jordan Museum in Amman. But with so many obstacles in the way, it’s unclear if the mentioned treasure will ever be recovered.
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