The Israeli Antiquities Authority has initiated an aggressive campaign to find and protect the cultural treasures that have been hidden for centuries in the Judean desert, by recovering them from the desert caves before thieves can get to them.
Readers may recall the famous recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the Judean desert caves in the late 1940’s through early 1950’s.
Recently recovered items were: Parchment fragments (of Biblical texts) that no one has touched in 2000 years; the remains of a small child that had been laid to rest in a blanket 6,000 years ago; and a very large woven basket (with lid) that may predate the human remains.
Written by Rina Goldhagen
