Dead Sea Scrolls DNA Analysis

In June 2020, a team of researchers led by Oded Rechavi of Tel Aviv University and Noam Mizrahi of the same institution published a groundbreaking DNA analysis of the animal skins used to produce the Dead Sea Scrolls. Published in the journal Cell, the study analyzed the DNA of parchment fragments from 26 different scrolls. By identifying the animal species (sheep, cow, or goat) and comparing their genetic profiles, the researchers could determine which scrolls were made from locally raised animals (likely produced at Qumran) and which were brought from elsewhere. Sheep-skin scrolls with similar DNA profiles were likely produced in the same location, while cow-skin scrolls indicated different, more distant origins since cattle were not commonly raised in the arid Judean Desert. This biological evidence helped scholars group related scroll fragments and distinguish between scrolls produced by the Qumran community and those brought from Jerusalem or other locations. The study demonstrated that different copies of the same biblical book sometimes came from different geographic origins, suggesting multiple scribal traditions contributed to the Qumran library.