1
00:00:03,771 --> 00:00:06,605
This is our oldest source for
   the complete 10 commandments.

2
00:00:06,607 --> 00:00:09,274
Yes.

3
00:00:09,276 --> 00:00:11,310
These scrolls are
            the most significant

4
00:00:11,312 --> 00:00:14,046
archaeological treasure
            of the 20th century.

5
00:00:14,048 --> 00:00:15,981
All that writing
    is preserved under there.

6
00:00:15,983 --> 00:00:19,618
It's like a magic trick.

7
00:00:19,620 --> 00:00:21,186
The cave continues.

8
00:00:21,188 --> 00:00:24,656
[ laughs ]
that's a literal secret chamber.

9
00:00:24,658 --> 00:00:28,060
That doesn't happen
           every day.

10
00:00:28,062 --> 00:00:30,329
I see a tunnel.
         It keeps going.

11
00:00:30,331 --> 00:00:33,298
There's a tunnel back there,
              man.

12
00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:38,971
A billion dollars of treasure,
oh, boy.

13
00:00:41,475 --> 00:00:45,544
Oh, my god.
       Are you kidding me?

14
00:00:45,546 --> 00:00:47,246
That's writing!

15
00:00:47,248 --> 00:00:48,614
There is
          a human history there.

16
00:00:48,616 --> 00:00:52,251
Absolutely.

17
00:00:52,253 --> 00:00:53,786
Oh, look at that.

18
00:00:53,788 --> 00:00:55,821
Oh, my god.

19
00:00:55,823 --> 00:01:01,994
♪

20
00:01:01,996 --> 00:01:08,133
♪

21
00:01:08,135 --> 00:01:11,103
it is one of the greatest
   archaeological discoveries

22
00:01:11,105 --> 00:01:14,440
in modern history --

23
00:01:14,442 --> 00:01:16,975
the dead sea scrolls.

24
00:01:16,977 --> 00:01:21,947
In 1946, the remains of hundreds
     of ancient manuscripts

25
00:01:21,949 --> 00:01:24,149
were discovered hidden
      in a series of caves

26
00:01:24,151 --> 00:01:26,285
near the dead sea in israel.

27
00:01:26,287 --> 00:01:29,254
These scrolls include copies
      of the old testament,

28
00:01:29,256 --> 00:01:32,391
1,000 years older
     than any known before,

29
00:01:32,393 --> 00:01:35,561
plus untold prophecies
     not found in scripture

30
00:01:35,563 --> 00:01:40,032
that could rewrite the bible
         as we know it.

31
00:01:40,034 --> 00:01:42,634
There's even a scroll inscribed
            on copper

32
00:01:42,636 --> 00:01:46,505
that some claim points to vast
  riches hidden in the desert.

33
00:01:46,507 --> 00:01:49,174
A number of questions
      surround the scrolls.

34
00:01:49,176 --> 00:01:50,509
Where did they come from?

35
00:01:50,511 --> 00:01:51,710
Who wrote them?

36
00:01:51,712 --> 00:01:55,247
What secrets do they hold,

37
00:01:55,249 --> 00:02:00,219
and are there more out there
      waiting to be found?

38
00:02:00,221 --> 00:02:01,920
Now, scientists are applying

39
00:02:01,922 --> 00:02:05,224
nasa technology to
    extract ancient messages

40
00:02:05,226 --> 00:02:08,360
from fragmented parchments,

41
00:02:08,362 --> 00:02:11,697
and archaeologists
 are exploring a once-lost city

42
00:02:11,699 --> 00:02:13,565
where the scrolls
      may have been written

43
00:02:13,567 --> 00:02:16,235
and closing in
      on unexplored caverns

44
00:02:16,237 --> 00:02:20,506
that could contain
        new manuscripts.

45
00:02:20,508 --> 00:02:22,941
Join me on a quest
        to the holy land

46
00:02:22,943 --> 00:02:25,544
to fill in the blank pages
           of history

47
00:02:25,546 --> 00:02:28,046
and to unravel
       the many mysteries

48
00:02:28,048 --> 00:02:30,816
of the dead sea scrolls.

49
00:02:30,818 --> 00:02:35,354
♪

50
00:02:35,356 --> 00:02:37,122
my name is josh gates...

51
00:02:37,124 --> 00:02:39,625
Look! [ laughs ]

52
00:02:39,627 --> 00:02:41,560
...Explorer, adventurer...

53
00:02:41,562 --> 00:02:42,928
That is it!

54
00:02:42,930 --> 00:02:46,198
...And a guy who ends up
in some very strange situations.

55
00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,067
Ah, ah, aah, haa!

56
00:02:49,069 --> 00:02:50,502
With a degree in archaeology

57
00:02:50,504 --> 00:02:52,538
and a passion
      for the unexplained,

58
00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:54,673
I travel to the ends
          of the earth,

59
00:02:54,675 --> 00:02:57,609
investigating
the greatest legends in history.

60
00:02:57,611 --> 00:02:59,211
Okay, let's punch it.

61
00:02:59,213 --> 00:03:01,380
This is "expedition unknown."

62
00:03:01,382 --> 00:03:04,383
-- captions by vitac --
          www.Vitac.Com

63
00:03:04,385 --> 00:03:07,419
captions paid for by
discovery communications

64
00:03:07,421 --> 00:03:11,023
my quest to unlock the mysteries
     of the dead sea scrolls

65
00:03:11,025 --> 00:03:13,892
brings me to the holy land,
     where the first chapter

66
00:03:13,894 --> 00:03:16,895
in the history
   of the scrolls was written.

67
00:03:18,566 --> 00:03:21,900
The old city of jerusalem --
   it may sound like a cliche,

68
00:03:21,902 --> 00:03:23,902
but there really
      is no place like it.

69
00:03:23,904 --> 00:03:27,306
Choose any descriptor
     you like -- evocative,

70
00:03:27,308 --> 00:03:30,776
maddening, overwhelming,
             divine.

71
00:03:30,778 --> 00:03:32,544
You don't walk these streets.

72
00:03:32,546 --> 00:03:34,146
You're carried through them.

73
00:03:34,148 --> 00:03:36,782
To step off the curb here
is to be swept up

74
00:03:36,784 --> 00:03:39,251
in the turbulent
       waters of history.

75
00:03:39,253 --> 00:03:45,257
♪

76
00:03:45,259 --> 00:03:47,426
it's been a crossroads
        of civilizations

77
00:03:47,428 --> 00:03:49,928
as long as there
    have been roads to cross.

78
00:03:49,930 --> 00:03:51,563
It was the center
         of trade routes

79
00:03:51,565 --> 00:03:53,665
stretching from rome to india

80
00:03:53,667 --> 00:03:57,102
and home to diverse cultures
      living side by side,

81
00:03:57,104 --> 00:04:00,505
sometimes in harmony
   and sometimes in conflict,

82
00:04:00,507 --> 00:04:04,076
but more than anything else,
    jerusalem is about faith,

83
00:04:04,078 --> 00:04:08,814
home to three of the holiest
       places on earth --

84
00:04:08,816 --> 00:04:11,950
the golden dome of the rock,
       sacred to muslims,

85
00:04:11,952 --> 00:04:13,785
the church
     of the holy sepulchre,

86
00:04:13,787 --> 00:04:16,355
the site of the crucifixion
           of christ,

87
00:04:16,357 --> 00:04:20,058
and the oldest of them all,
  the western or wailing wall,

88
00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:24,029
all that remains of
 a 3,000-year-old jewish temple.

89
00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,667
To understand
       what was once here,

90
00:04:28,669 --> 00:04:32,204
we have to turn back
       the hands of time.

91
00:04:32,206 --> 00:04:33,672
The so-called temple mount

92
00:04:33,674 --> 00:04:37,242
begins as a natural rise
     known as mount moriah,

93
00:04:37,244 --> 00:04:42,180
where ancient hebrews
 believe creation itself began.

94
00:04:42,182 --> 00:04:45,150
Over time, a jewish empire
        grows around it.

95
00:04:45,152 --> 00:04:48,487
The great temple of solomon
  is built on the sacred mount.

96
00:04:48,489 --> 00:04:53,759
In 586 bce,
   it's destroyed by invaders.

97
00:04:53,761 --> 00:04:56,662
The rebuilt structure is known
      as the second temple,

98
00:04:56,664 --> 00:04:58,297
the center of jewish faith

99
00:04:58,299 --> 00:05:01,066
and home to jerusalem's
       greatest treasures,

100
00:05:01,068 --> 00:05:06,305
including an archive of sacred
    scrolls and manuscripts.

101
00:05:06,307 --> 00:05:09,274
Centuries later,
  the romans conquer the city.

102
00:05:09,276 --> 00:05:13,178
In the year 67, the jews
 of jerusalem spark a rebellion.

103
00:05:13,180 --> 00:05:14,613
Ah!

104
00:05:14,615 --> 00:05:17,983
In retaliation, the roman army
   destroys the second temple.

105
00:05:17,985 --> 00:05:20,552
Now all that remains
       is the western wall

106
00:05:20,554 --> 00:05:24,156
of the temple platform.

107
00:05:24,158 --> 00:05:26,058
The story
     of the dead sea scrolls

108
00:05:26,060 --> 00:05:28,694
begins when jerusalem
        looked like this.

109
00:05:28,696 --> 00:05:33,265
♪

110
00:05:33,267 --> 00:05:36,435
I'm at the israel museum's
  scale model of the holy city

111
00:05:36,437 --> 00:05:37,669
to meet scroll expert

112
00:05:37,671 --> 00:05:40,572
and curator dr. Adolfo roitman.

113
00:05:40,574 --> 00:05:44,509
All right. Let's talk about
this incredible model here.

114
00:05:44,511 --> 00:05:46,511
I feel like godzilla.

115
00:05:46,513 --> 00:05:47,646
This is awesome.

116
00:05:47,648 --> 00:05:51,383
This is the jerusalem
of 1st century ce

117
00:05:51,385 --> 00:05:53,985
in time of the romans.

118
00:05:53,987 --> 00:05:56,855
So we are kind of in the period
of the dead sea scrolls here.

119
00:05:56,857 --> 00:05:58,156
Exactly.

120
00:05:58,158 --> 00:06:00,892
They were discovered in a placed
           called qumran located

121
00:06:00,894 --> 00:06:03,061
on the northwestern shore
               of the dead sea

122
00:06:03,063 --> 00:06:05,964
about 30 miles from jerusalem.
Okay.

123
00:06:05,966 --> 00:06:08,333
The first dead sea scroll
               was discovered

124
00:06:08,335 --> 00:06:12,170
by the end of 1946
      and the beginning of 1947.

125
00:06:12,172 --> 00:06:17,642
Amazingly, they were discovered
         completely by accident.

126
00:06:17,644 --> 00:06:20,345
As the story goes, a young
    shepherd is herding goats

127
00:06:20,347 --> 00:06:22,681
in qumran near the dead sea.

128
00:06:22,683 --> 00:06:24,750
Passing a cave,
        he throws a stone

129
00:06:24,752 --> 00:06:27,986
to scare a wayward animal
        back to the flock

130
00:06:27,988 --> 00:06:30,021
and hears something shatter.

131
00:06:32,626 --> 00:06:36,795
Curious, he enters the cavern
   and discovers 10 clay jars

132
00:06:39,666 --> 00:06:43,735
holding seven ancient scrolls.

133
00:06:43,737 --> 00:06:47,639
They had no idea they discovered
      maybe the most significant

134
00:06:47,641 --> 00:06:51,376
archaeological treasure
            of the 20th century.

135
00:06:51,378 --> 00:06:54,746
They decided,
 "why not you sell the scrolls?"

136
00:06:54,748 --> 00:06:58,316
and four scrolls were bought
     by a dealer from bethlehem,

137
00:06:58,318 --> 00:07:00,185
an arab christian.

138
00:07:00,187 --> 00:07:01,720
And the other three?

139
00:07:01,722 --> 00:07:04,723
A hebrew university professor
  bought the other three scrolls

140
00:07:04,725 --> 00:07:08,360
for the hebrew university,
  so on both sides of jerusalem,

141
00:07:08,362 --> 00:07:11,396
a jew and the christians,
              they had scrolls.

142
00:07:11,398 --> 00:07:13,398
Okay, this is
the beginning of a joke.

143
00:07:15,402 --> 00:07:17,369
But instead of walking
           into a bar,

144
00:07:17,371 --> 00:07:20,138
the christian antiquities
   dealer resells his scrolls

145
00:07:20,140 --> 00:07:24,109
to the archbishop of
   the syrian orthodox church.

146
00:07:24,111 --> 00:07:26,478
Facing political turmoil
          in jerusalem,

147
00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,848
the archbishop smuggles the
 scrolls into the united states.

148
00:07:29,850 --> 00:07:33,018
In 1954, he takes out
         a classified ad

149
00:07:33,020 --> 00:07:34,453
in the<i> wall street journal,</i>

150
00:07:34,455 --> 00:07:37,222
offering the scrolls
     to the highest bidder.

151
00:07:37,224 --> 00:07:39,458
Israeli scholars race
        to acquire them,

152
00:07:39,460 --> 00:07:42,894
sensing their huge historic
      and religious value.

153
00:07:42,896 --> 00:07:45,397
And the scrolls were bought
         for the state of israel

154
00:07:45,399 --> 00:07:48,733
for a quarter
       of million dollar in '55.

155
00:07:51,104 --> 00:07:53,371
The sale sets off
a flurry of digging

156
00:07:53,373 --> 00:07:55,807
and looting along the edge
         of the dead sea

157
00:07:55,809 --> 00:07:57,676
that eventually yields
           the remains

158
00:07:57,678 --> 00:08:00,178
of more than 900 manuscripts

159
00:08:00,180 --> 00:08:02,814
discovered in
       11 different caves.

160
00:08:02,816 --> 00:08:08,820
Now we have around
20,000 fragments of manuscripts.

161
00:08:08,822 --> 00:08:11,223
Unbelievable.
     Would you like to see them?

162
00:08:11,225 --> 00:08:12,657
I would love to see them.

163
00:08:12,659 --> 00:08:15,794
Come with me.

164
00:08:15,796 --> 00:08:18,230
Dr. Roitman invites me
     into the hallowed halls

165
00:08:18,232 --> 00:08:20,432
of the so-called
       shrine of the book,

166
00:08:20,434 --> 00:08:22,601
where the world's greatest
collection of scrolls

167
00:08:22,603 --> 00:08:24,536
is carefully preserved.

168
00:08:24,538 --> 00:08:26,438
We pass through
      a series of chambers

169
00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,841
inspired by the caves where
  the scrolls were discovered,

170
00:08:29,843 --> 00:08:33,044
and at the end of the tunnel,
          a revelation.

171
00:08:35,282 --> 00:08:38,984
Wow, look at this place,
                what a room.

172
00:08:38,986 --> 00:08:42,787
It feels like you're
          in a temple, a shrine.

173
00:08:42,789 --> 00:08:44,856
Here, in this venerated vault,

174
00:08:44,858 --> 00:08:47,292
I'm surrounded
      by a treasure trove.

175
00:08:47,294 --> 00:08:49,427
The remains of some
      of the best-preserved

176
00:08:49,429 --> 00:08:52,030
dead sea scrolls
         are on display.

177
00:08:52,032 --> 00:08:55,233
Amazing.

178
00:08:55,235 --> 00:08:58,370
Penned mainly in hebrew
    on parchment or papyrus,

179
00:08:58,372 --> 00:09:01,306
the first question is,
    "what's written on them?"

180
00:09:03,477 --> 00:09:08,346
let's start with the "mona lisa"
of all the scrolls --

181
00:09:08,348 --> 00:09:09,714
the book of isaiah.

182
00:09:09,716 --> 00:09:12,684
Unbelievable.

183
00:09:12,686 --> 00:09:14,786
Written about 2,000 years ago,

184
00:09:14,788 --> 00:09:18,056
this scroll is the oldest-known
     copy of a major portion

185
00:09:18,058 --> 00:09:22,093
of the old testament
        or hebrew bible.

186
00:09:22,095 --> 00:09:23,328
And so this is just
   a piece of it.

187
00:09:23,330 --> 00:09:24,729
How long
 is the full scroll?

188
00:09:24,731 --> 00:09:28,433
More than 20 feet long.

189
00:09:28,435 --> 00:09:31,603
This manuscript has
all the 66 chapters

190
00:09:31,605 --> 00:09:34,873
of the book of isaiah
       like in our modern bible.

191
00:09:34,875 --> 00:09:36,641
Before this was found,

192
00:09:36,643 --> 00:09:39,644
what was the oldest-known copy
of the book of isaiah?

193
00:09:39,646 --> 00:09:44,349
From middle ages, thousand years
          after this manuscript.

194
00:09:44,351 --> 00:09:48,153
This ancient copy of isaiah is
 a big deal to biblical scholars

195
00:09:48,155 --> 00:09:50,655
since it confirms that this part
      of the old testament

196
00:09:50,657 --> 00:09:54,693
has remained consistent
     for thousands of years.

197
00:09:54,695 --> 00:09:56,428
But not all of
      the dead sea scrolls

198
00:09:56,430 --> 00:10:00,966
are copies of the bible
as we know it.

199
00:10:00,968 --> 00:10:04,803
We have apocryphal stories,
 new stories that we didn't know

200
00:10:04,805 --> 00:10:06,671
before the discovery
               of the scrolls.

201
00:10:06,673 --> 00:10:09,140
This one document called
               the war scroll.

202
00:10:09,142 --> 00:10:12,477
This describes the war
           by the end of history

203
00:10:12,479 --> 00:10:15,046
between the son of light
        and the son of darkness.

204
00:10:15,048 --> 00:10:16,681
It's very
 "game of thrones."

205
00:10:16,683 --> 00:10:19,684
[ laughs ]

206
00:10:19,686 --> 00:10:22,053
but this doesn't appear
in the old testament...

207
00:10:22,055 --> 00:10:24,222
No.
         It's outside the canon.

208
00:10:24,224 --> 00:10:26,057
Scholars believe that
         the war scroll

209
00:10:26,059 --> 00:10:28,927
is more than just
a description of the apocalypse.

210
00:10:28,929 --> 00:10:31,730
It was a tactical manual,
       outlining weaponry

211
00:10:31,732 --> 00:10:35,500
and maneuvers
 to help good triumph over evil,

212
00:10:35,502 --> 00:10:37,535
and it's not the only scroll
          with stories

213
00:10:37,537 --> 00:10:40,505
that can't be found
   anywhere else in scripture.

214
00:10:40,507 --> 00:10:43,508
We have a new version
         of the book of genesis.

215
00:10:43,510 --> 00:10:48,046
Abraham is presented as
   an exorcist expelling demons.

216
00:10:48,048 --> 00:10:49,881
Amazing.

217
00:10:49,883 --> 00:10:51,850
In this re-imagining of genesis,

218
00:10:51,852 --> 00:10:54,285
abraham doesn't
      just speak with god.

219
00:10:54,287 --> 00:10:56,521
He possesses divine powers.

220
00:10:56,523 --> 00:10:58,423
This is a new
        presentation of abraham.

221
00:10:58,425 --> 00:11:00,358
Very new.

222
00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,327
The thing that is
   so mind-blowing

223
00:11:02,329 --> 00:11:05,263
is that the ink looks like
it was written yesterday.

224
00:11:05,265 --> 00:11:08,867
Yes, but most of the scrolls,
      they don't look like this.

225
00:11:08,869 --> 00:11:10,502
Some of them are
             in very good shape,

226
00:11:10,504 --> 00:11:12,671
some other
     very fragmentary materials.

227
00:11:12,673 --> 00:11:17,242
The work of the lab is crucial
      in order to preserve them.

228
00:11:20,213 --> 00:11:23,081
To learn what other secrets
   are hidden on the scrolls,

229
00:11:23,083 --> 00:11:25,684
dr. Roitman helps
    arrange exclusive access

230
00:11:25,686 --> 00:11:27,752
to the only laboratory
          in the world

231
00:11:27,754 --> 00:11:30,955
that actually handles
    the original manuscripts.

232
00:11:31,525 --> 00:11:33,758
Pnina...

233
00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:34,793
Hello.
                  I'm josh.

234
00:11:34,795 --> 00:11:36,928
I'm pnina.
          Very nice to meet you.

235
00:11:36,930 --> 00:11:39,297
For 70 years,
    the leon levy laboratory

236
00:11:39,299 --> 00:11:41,533
of the israeli
      antiquities authority

237
00:11:41,535 --> 00:11:43,468
has been doing
       the miraculous work

238
00:11:43,470 --> 00:11:47,739
of making these ancient
   parchments readable again.

239
00:11:47,741 --> 00:11:51,543
Thank you for having me here.
             This is incredible.

240
00:11:51,545 --> 00:11:53,545
Pnina reveals
    one of their crown jewels

241
00:11:53,547 --> 00:11:55,146
of their restoration work,

242
00:11:55,148 --> 00:12:00,618
allowing me to see a scroll
      as its author did...

243
00:12:00,620 --> 00:12:03,354
Without the barrier
        of museum glass.

244
00:12:07,794 --> 00:12:11,129
Now, don't breathe.

245
00:12:12,799 --> 00:12:16,668
Not a problem because getting
this close to an original scroll

246
00:12:16,670 --> 00:12:19,104
literally takes my breath away.

247
00:12:19,106 --> 00:12:20,371
It's mind-blowing.

248
00:12:20,373 --> 00:12:22,741
Is there an older copy
      of the book of psalms

249
00:12:22,743 --> 00:12:24,275
than what we're
     looking at right here?

250
00:12:24,277 --> 00:12:26,444
No.
       How crazy is that?

251
00:12:29,583 --> 00:12:33,518
Now we'll show you the scroll
that drives the world crazy.

252
00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,289
♪

253
00:12:38,291 --> 00:12:40,592
of all the copies of the book
of deuteronomy

254
00:12:40,594 --> 00:12:44,262
that we have, this is
the only copy that preserves

255
00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:48,032
all of
the 10 commandments.

256
00:12:48,034 --> 00:12:49,200
Wait a minute.

257
00:12:49,202 --> 00:12:50,802
This is our oldest source
              for the complete

258
00:12:50,804 --> 00:12:51,836
10 commandments?

259
00:12:51,838 --> 00:12:53,104
Yes.

260
00:12:53,106 --> 00:12:54,906
Wow.

261
00:12:54,908 --> 00:12:57,542
And is the text complementary
            with later versions,

262
00:12:57,544 --> 00:12:58,810
or are there any changes?

263
00:12:58,812 --> 00:13:01,346
There's a slight
     difference.

264
00:13:13,894 --> 00:13:16,227
Gates:
 I'm at the leon levy laboratory

265
00:13:16,229 --> 00:13:19,097
of the israel antiquities
     authority in jerusalem,

266
00:13:19,099 --> 00:13:22,167
where my quest to learn
 who wrote the dead sea scrolls,

267
00:13:22,169 --> 00:13:25,103
and maybe discover more,
     brings me face-to-face

268
00:13:25,105 --> 00:13:28,673
with one of the most
 precious artifacts on earth --

269
00:13:30,977 --> 00:13:33,812
the original rulebook
    for western civilization,

270
00:13:33,814 --> 00:13:37,215
the oldest copy of the
  10 commandments in existence.

271
00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,154
This is our oldest source for
   the complete 10 commandments?

272
00:13:43,156 --> 00:13:45,623
This is the earliest copy
 that we have, yes.

273
00:13:45,625 --> 00:13:46,925
Wow.

274
00:13:46,927 --> 00:13:48,960
And is the text complementary
            with later versions,

275
00:13:48,962 --> 00:13:50,195
or are there any changes?

276
00:13:50,197 --> 00:13:53,131
There's a slight
     difference.

277
00:13:53,133 --> 00:13:56,568
While contemporary bibles state,
       "keep the sabbath,"

278
00:13:56,570 --> 00:13:58,970
the scroll copy
      adds a word meaning,

279
00:13:58,972 --> 00:14:01,005
"remember," asking the faithful

280
00:14:01,007 --> 00:14:03,107
to not only honor
         the day of rest

281
00:14:03,109 --> 00:14:07,545
but to reflect on it as well,
a small but profound difference.

282
00:14:07,547 --> 00:14:10,915
This is awesome.
               And there's 10.

283
00:14:10,917 --> 00:14:13,218
There's not a couple extras
                  in here?

284
00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:15,620
"party as often
               as thou wants"?

285
00:14:15,622 --> 00:14:17,188
No.

286
00:14:17,190 --> 00:14:20,058
But not all the scrolls
    are this well-preserved.

287
00:14:22,362 --> 00:14:24,963
One of the biggest challenges
the team here faces

288
00:14:24,965 --> 00:14:28,800
is repairing earlier restoration
     work done in the 1950s

289
00:14:28,802 --> 00:14:31,369
at the rockefeller museum
          in jerusalem.

290
00:14:31,371 --> 00:14:34,105
And they began
the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.

291
00:14:34,107 --> 00:14:36,741
Thousands and thousands
of scroll fragments,

292
00:14:36,743 --> 00:14:40,445
they tape them with sellotape
  or adhesive tape.

293
00:14:40,447 --> 00:14:44,015
They put in between two glass
plates and tape them again.

294
00:14:44,017 --> 00:14:47,585
They created over
 1,200 glass plates.

295
00:14:47,587 --> 00:14:50,054
Little did they know
 that the exciting new invention

296
00:14:50,056 --> 00:14:51,689
of clear household tape

297
00:14:51,691 --> 00:14:54,993
was doing more harm than good
    to the fragile fragments.

298
00:14:54,995 --> 00:14:58,596
The residues of the tape
penetrate the parchment

299
00:14:58,598 --> 00:15:00,498
and causes
 its disintegration.

300
00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:03,301
So you inherited a challenge.
 Yes.

301
00:15:03,303 --> 00:15:05,136
A team of restoration
           specialists

302
00:15:05,138 --> 00:15:08,106
chemically cleans
  each tiny piece of parchment,

303
00:15:08,108 --> 00:15:09,908
repairing the damage.

304
00:15:09,910 --> 00:15:16,047
It can take a year to go
through one sheet of paper.

305
00:15:16,049 --> 00:15:18,716
Once this painstaking process
          is complete,

306
00:15:18,718 --> 00:15:21,219
the real detective
          work begins.

307
00:15:21,221 --> 00:15:23,554
Fragments are moved around
a computer canvas

308
00:15:23,556 --> 00:15:25,757
like puzzle pieces
        on a coffee table

309
00:15:25,759 --> 00:15:28,293
to reconstruct
    the original manuscript.

310
00:15:28,295 --> 00:15:31,029
Groundbreaking new technologies
       can cross-reference

311
00:15:31,031 --> 00:15:33,698
other scrolls
  to recognize the handwriting

312
00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:35,566
of a particular scribe.

313
00:15:35,568 --> 00:15:38,703
They even match the grain
 in different parchment pieces.

314
00:15:38,705 --> 00:15:41,172
You notice the black edges?
                        Mm-hmm.

315
00:15:41,174 --> 00:15:42,707
Now, it's not burnt.

316
00:15:42,709 --> 00:15:44,842
The jar was put on the floor
    of the cave,

317
00:15:44,844 --> 00:15:46,911
and therefore, the humidity
    penetrated it

318
00:15:46,913 --> 00:15:52,050
and caused the disintegration
of the edges of the scroll.

319
00:15:52,052 --> 00:15:54,719
Even fragments completely
        blackened by time

320
00:15:54,721 --> 00:15:57,889
can be brought back to life
   in the lab's inner sanctum,

321
00:15:57,891 --> 00:15:59,257
the imaging room,

322
00:15:59,259 --> 00:16:01,993
where they're using technology
        pioneered by nasa

323
00:16:01,995 --> 00:16:06,197
to digitally reveal hidden text
 on the most damaged documents.

324
00:16:08,501 --> 00:16:11,936
This studio was created
especially for the scrolls,

325
00:16:11,938 --> 00:16:15,173
and so was this camera.

326
00:16:15,175 --> 00:16:17,275
I feel like I'm about
        to get an x-ray in here.

327
00:16:17,277 --> 00:16:19,077
You're about to get more
than an x-ray here

328
00:16:19,079 --> 00:16:20,144
because what
  we're seeing here

329
00:16:20,146 --> 00:16:22,080
is a multispectral
   imaging system

330
00:16:22,082 --> 00:16:24,349
that was created
especially for the scrolls.

331
00:16:24,351 --> 00:16:26,684
So is is possible
            to see it in action?

332
00:16:26,686 --> 00:16:29,487
Absolutely.

333
00:16:29,489 --> 00:16:30,755
The fragment is positioned

334
00:16:30,757 --> 00:16:34,192
and exposed to 12 different
      wavelengths of light.

335
00:16:34,194 --> 00:16:37,762
Man: And slowly we go through
      seven visible lights.

336
00:16:37,764 --> 00:16:39,630
After that, we start
         with the light

337
00:16:39,632 --> 00:16:44,135
that we cannot see with our eyes
   in the near-infrared zone.

338
00:16:44,137 --> 00:16:46,337
Gates: The images captured at
the different wavelengths

339
00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:50,174
are then stitched together,
 and what appears is astounding.

340
00:16:50,176 --> 00:16:56,514
The text, once lost to history,
emerges from the dark parchment.

341
00:16:56,516 --> 00:16:57,982
That is unbelievable.

342
00:16:57,984 --> 00:17:00,118
All that writing is preserved
                under there.

343
00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:01,519
It's like a magic trick.

344
00:17:01,521 --> 00:17:07,358
This is the only fragment
that we have from genesis.

345
00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:12,063
1st-century wisdom unveiled
   by 21st-century technology.

346
00:17:12,065 --> 00:17:14,599
The fragment says,
      "let there be light,"

347
00:17:14,601 --> 00:17:17,702
god's first words brought back
        from the darkness

348
00:17:17,704 --> 00:17:20,805
by light itself,
     science providing sight

349
00:17:20,807 --> 00:17:24,342
and insight to the oldest copy
       of this scripture.

350
00:17:24,344 --> 00:17:29,380
♪

351
00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:32,750
the work of the team here and by
 other scholars around the world

352
00:17:32,752 --> 00:17:38,856
using digital facsimiles will
  take generations to complete.

353
00:17:38,858 --> 00:17:42,460
But what's been uncovered may
 just be the tip of the iceberg.

354
00:17:42,462 --> 00:17:45,196
Could more scrolls still be
      hidden in the desert,

355
00:17:45,198 --> 00:17:48,633
and can we determine who
 wrote them in the first place?

356
00:17:50,670 --> 00:17:53,404
To get answers, I'm leaving
      the city of jerusalem

357
00:17:53,406 --> 00:17:54,939
and heading to qumran,

358
00:17:54,941 --> 00:17:57,675
where the original scrolls
        were discovered.

359
00:17:57,677 --> 00:18:05,716
♪

360
00:18:05,718 --> 00:18:08,119
the caves where the scrolls
     were found were located

361
00:18:08,121 --> 00:18:10,154
in the heart
      of the judean desert,

362
00:18:10,156 --> 00:18:12,023
a place that feels a world away

363
00:18:12,025 --> 00:18:14,192
from the bustling streets
          of jerusalem,

364
00:18:14,194 --> 00:18:16,661
and to get there,
  I'm driving down highway 90,

365
00:18:16,663 --> 00:18:17,895
which has the distinction
            of being

366
00:18:17,897 --> 00:18:19,864
the lowest road in the world,

367
00:18:19,866 --> 00:18:23,801
descending down to more than
   1,400 feet below sea level.

368
00:18:23,803 --> 00:18:26,070
It's also home to one
of the strangest bodies

369
00:18:26,072 --> 00:18:27,939
of water on earth.

370
00:18:27,941 --> 00:18:33,111
Almost 10 times saltier
than the ocean, the dead sea is,

371
00:18:33,113 --> 00:18:35,613
well, lifeless.

372
00:18:35,615 --> 00:18:40,418
No fish or plants can survive
      the extreme salinity.

373
00:18:40,420 --> 00:18:45,756
And my destination is equally
            barren --

374
00:18:45,758 --> 00:18:48,793
the desert cliffs
           of qumran,

375
00:18:48,795 --> 00:18:51,662
and what looks like a quick hike
       up a mountain trail

376
00:18:51,664 --> 00:18:55,065
quickly turns into a sweltering
    slog through the desert.

377
00:18:55,067 --> 00:18:56,868
Once you get away
from the shores of the dead sea,

378
00:18:56,870 --> 00:19:00,138
this place becomes inhospitable
really quickly.

379
00:19:00,140 --> 00:19:02,907
After all, it's hot as hell,
    not a lot of fresh water

380
00:19:02,909 --> 00:19:04,675
and not a scrap of shade,

381
00:19:04,677 --> 00:19:05,877
which is why,
       throughout history,

382
00:19:05,879 --> 00:19:08,279
very few people
     ever came through here,

383
00:19:08,281 --> 00:19:12,049
but that does make this a very
   good place to hide things.

384
00:19:14,621 --> 00:19:16,554
I'm here to meet leading
        dead sea scrolls

385
00:19:16,556 --> 00:19:19,090
archaeologist dr. Oren gutfeld.

386
00:19:19,092 --> 00:19:20,458
-Hey, josh.
       -Nice to meet you.

387
00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:21,993
-Good to see you.
              -Oh.

388
00:19:21,995 --> 00:19:24,695
What brings you here
on a hot summer day?

389
00:19:24,697 --> 00:19:26,764
I'm looking for a crazy man.
Huh, you find one.

390
00:19:26,766 --> 00:19:29,233
Yeah, it is desolate
                  out here.

391
00:19:29,235 --> 00:19:31,736
He's spent decades excavating
          ancient sites

392
00:19:31,738 --> 00:19:35,306
across the holy land.

393
00:19:35,308 --> 00:19:37,942
Josh, welcome to qumran.

394
00:19:37,944 --> 00:19:42,880
♪

395
00:19:42,882 --> 00:19:45,216
what a view.

396
00:19:45,218 --> 00:19:47,185
It's incredible.

397
00:19:47,187 --> 00:19:51,622
♪

398
00:19:51,624 --> 00:19:52,823
these are all caves?

399
00:19:52,825 --> 00:19:54,192
600 caves.

400
00:19:54,194 --> 00:19:58,629
This is where all
the dead sea scrolls were found.

401
00:19:58,631 --> 00:20:00,331
Have all of these caves
               been excavated?

402
00:20:00,333 --> 00:20:02,200
Less than 10%.

403
00:20:02,202 --> 00:20:03,734
Really, less than
                10% of them?

404
00:20:03,736 --> 00:20:05,736
Yes.
 There's lots to do.

405
00:20:05,738 --> 00:20:10,341
Most of the scrolls were
found there, in cave number 4.

406
00:20:10,343 --> 00:20:11,842
That cave, right there?
Yes.

407
00:20:11,844 --> 00:20:15,179
More than 15,000 fragments
were found inside this cave.

408
00:20:15,181 --> 00:20:16,581
It's, like, 90%.

409
00:20:16,583 --> 00:20:18,449
Wow, come from one cave?
From one cave.

410
00:20:18,451 --> 00:20:19,617
And so where
              are you working?

411
00:20:19,619 --> 00:20:21,752
I'm working over there,
 in cave number 53.

412
00:20:21,754 --> 00:20:22,853
Can we see
             what you're doing?

413
00:20:22,855 --> 00:20:24,488
Yes. Let's go.
                           Yeah.

414
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:30,094
Today, the caves are in
    a closed nature reserve.

415
00:20:30,096 --> 00:20:32,029
Any entry into them is dangerous

416
00:20:32,031 --> 00:20:34,365
and strictly prohibited
         to the public,

417
00:20:34,367 --> 00:20:37,001
but I'm lucky enough
   to have an all-access pass

418
00:20:37,003 --> 00:20:40,471
to one of archaeology's
    most exclusive addresses.

419
00:20:40,473 --> 00:20:43,174
Wow.
            Oh, man!

420
00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:56,487
♪

421
00:20:56,489 --> 00:20:58,589
gates: I'm in qumran,
       outside jerusalem,

422
00:20:58,591 --> 00:21:02,727
with archaeologist oren gutfeld.

423
00:21:02,729 --> 00:21:04,528
We're approaching
     the labyrinth of caves

424
00:21:04,530 --> 00:21:06,831
where the dead sea scrolls
         were discovered

425
00:21:06,833 --> 00:21:10,067
to answer the mystery of whether
     there are more to find.

426
00:21:10,069 --> 00:21:12,803
Cave number 53...
  Wow.

427
00:21:12,805 --> 00:21:15,273
That's where we have
most of our finds.

428
00:21:18,578 --> 00:21:22,213
After the first dead sea scrolls
    were discovered in 1946,

429
00:21:22,215 --> 00:21:25,216
more were found
     in 10 additional caves.

430
00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:31,088
But by the mid-'70s, it seemed
  that the area was tapped out.

431
00:21:31,090 --> 00:21:33,157
That is until 2017,

432
00:21:33,159 --> 00:21:36,794
when oren struck scroll gold
       in this very cave.

433
00:21:42,368 --> 00:21:45,236
Gutfeld: And in another part
    of the cave,

434
00:21:45,238 --> 00:21:49,907
we found another complete
store jar with the parchment.

435
00:21:49,909 --> 00:21:51,776
You found a scroll?
  Yes.

436
00:21:51,778 --> 00:21:53,477
It's the first time
   after 70 years

437
00:21:53,479 --> 00:21:55,913
that an archaeologist found
an old parchment

438
00:21:55,915 --> 00:21:57,481
inside a store jar.

439
00:21:57,483 --> 00:21:58,783
Any writing on it?
    No.

440
00:21:58,785 --> 00:22:00,284
It was blank.

441
00:22:00,286 --> 00:22:02,386
Hey, if you found parchment
    out here, that's a big deal.

442
00:22:02,388 --> 00:22:05,623
In my opinion, scrolls were
hidden in many more caves,

443
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:08,259
and cave 53
is the proof for that.

444
00:22:10,997 --> 00:22:12,563
And just above this chamber,

445
00:22:12,565 --> 00:22:15,066
oren's team
 is in the process of excavating

446
00:22:15,068 --> 00:22:19,136
cave 53b to see if more scrolls
       are hiding inside.

447
00:22:19,138 --> 00:22:21,238
Hello.
             Hello. How are you?

448
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,207
Hello. Watch your head.
How are you?

449
00:22:23,209 --> 00:22:28,713
Oh, my god, this 2x4,
this is holding up the cave?

450
00:22:28,715 --> 00:22:30,948
Gutfeld: Yes, we hope so.

451
00:22:30,950 --> 00:22:32,817
It will give us another
  2 seconds to run.

452
00:22:32,819 --> 00:22:34,118
That's about it.

453
00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:35,753
Okay, so tell me
        what's going on in here.

454
00:22:35,755 --> 00:22:37,788
We noticed
a small entrance over here

455
00:22:37,790 --> 00:22:39,256
and uncovered
  these two walls.

456
00:22:39,258 --> 00:22:40,725
So you saw that
         this went further back.

457
00:22:40,727 --> 00:22:43,194
Exactly, and do you know
   what we found?

458
00:22:46,232 --> 00:22:48,933
This is the best
   3rd-century bc

459
00:22:48,935 --> 00:22:51,001
hellenistic cooking pot
  ever found here.

460
00:22:51,003 --> 00:22:53,371
Are you kidding me?

461
00:22:55,408 --> 00:22:56,607
Wow.

462
00:22:56,609 --> 00:22:58,209
People weren't just
hiding things in here.

463
00:22:58,211 --> 00:23:00,878
They were maybe living in here,
             certainly cooking.

464
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,514
That's correct, not only
hiding place, maybe shepherds,

465
00:23:03,516 --> 00:23:06,283
maybe hunters who used
these caves as well.

466
00:23:06,285 --> 00:23:08,986
[ man speaks native language ]
just second.

467
00:23:08,988 --> 00:23:12,256
[ both speaking
        native language ]

468
00:23:12,258 --> 00:23:14,158
they found something.
      They found something?

469
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:15,292
Yes.
             What did they find?

470
00:23:15,294 --> 00:23:18,562
I don't know.
      Let's go.

471
00:23:18,564 --> 00:23:19,964
After you.

472
00:23:19,966 --> 00:23:21,098
Oh, I was really hoping
    I wasn't going to have to go

473
00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:22,800
into this 2x4.

474
00:23:22,802 --> 00:23:28,472
♪

475
00:23:28,474 --> 00:23:29,573
hey, guys.

476
00:23:29,575 --> 00:23:30,708
[ man speaks
        native language ]

477
00:23:30,710 --> 00:23:32,376
okay, what do you got?

478
00:23:32,378 --> 00:23:34,412
They found pottery
      all over.

479
00:23:34,414 --> 00:23:37,081
[ speaking
  native language ]

480
00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,484
he said there's a chamber
that we missed over there.

481
00:23:40,486 --> 00:23:41,752
Are you [bleep] me?

482
00:23:43,122 --> 00:23:46,590
This is real.

483
00:23:46,592 --> 00:23:49,727
He found a gap, which means
        that the cave continues.

484
00:23:49,729 --> 00:23:57,234
♪

485
00:23:57,236 --> 00:24:02,973
oh, man, it goes back.
     [ laughs ]

486
00:24:02,975 --> 00:24:05,743
that's a literal
   secret chamber.

487
00:24:05,745 --> 00:24:07,178
I mean, it goes quite
                a ways back.

488
00:24:07,180 --> 00:24:08,345
Gutfeld: Yes.

489
00:24:08,347 --> 00:24:09,380
We thought this is the end
of the chamber,

490
00:24:09,382 --> 00:24:11,682
and now we see
             that it continues.

491
00:24:11,684 --> 00:24:13,417
That doesn't happen
           every day.

492
00:24:15,755 --> 00:24:17,521
There could be scrolls in there.
                     Why not?

493
00:24:17,523 --> 00:24:19,190
That's another season
              of "expedition."

494
00:24:19,192 --> 00:24:21,225
"next season," my ass.
Let's get some shovels!

495
00:24:21,227 --> 00:24:22,359
Come on.
 Let's dig this out.

496
00:24:22,361 --> 00:24:25,196
Not today.

497
00:24:25,198 --> 00:24:27,097
That's the thing about
archaeology -- when you find

498
00:24:27,099 --> 00:24:28,132
something exciting,

499
00:24:28,134 --> 00:24:29,600
then you got to move
   really slowly.

500
00:24:29,602 --> 00:24:34,104
That, back there, that is
the unknown just waiting.

501
00:24:34,106 --> 00:24:35,673
Nice work.

502
00:24:35,675 --> 00:24:37,475
Nice work.
              -Hey.

503
00:24:37,477 --> 00:24:40,377
Gates:
  But there may be other places
 to look for scrolls right now.

504
00:24:40,379 --> 00:24:42,980
To figure out where,
    we first need to unravel

505
00:24:42,982 --> 00:24:44,248
who wrote the scrolls

506
00:24:44,250 --> 00:24:46,750
and put them in these caves
       in the first place.

507
00:24:50,490 --> 00:24:52,423
Oren leads me down
         below the caves

508
00:24:52,425 --> 00:24:57,027
to a stunning ruin
     that may hold answers.

509
00:24:57,029 --> 00:24:59,663
There was a community of people
              living out here?

510
00:24:59,665 --> 00:25:02,299
Oh, yes.
     And when does this date to?

511
00:25:02,301 --> 00:25:06,070
Well, to the end of the 3rd
and 2nd century bce,

512
00:25:06,072 --> 00:25:08,539
1st century bce
 and 1st century ad.

513
00:25:08,541 --> 00:25:10,140
So we're in the time
               of the scrolls.

514
00:25:10,142 --> 00:25:12,443
That's correct.
This is the site of the scrolls.

515
00:25:12,445 --> 00:25:15,179
And so who were the people
   living out in this community?

516
00:25:15,181 --> 00:25:17,114
Well, this is under dispute.
                         Uh-huh.

517
00:25:22,154 --> 00:25:25,389
The essenes were a strict,
    independent jewish sect,

518
00:25:25,391 --> 00:25:28,092
who believed the priesthood
    of jerusalem was corrupt,

519
00:25:28,094 --> 00:25:31,028
so they broke off
  and relocated to the desert.

520
00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:32,830
How many people do you think
               lived out here?

521
00:25:32,832 --> 00:25:35,900
Not more than few dozen people
lived here, only men.

522
00:25:35,902 --> 00:25:37,167
No women?
    No women.

523
00:25:37,169 --> 00:25:39,370
So this is kind of like
           a monastery of sorts.

524
00:25:39,372 --> 00:25:40,404
In a way.

525
00:25:40,406 --> 00:25:42,139
They probably woke up
     very early,

526
00:25:42,141 --> 00:25:44,241
immersed themselves
 in the ritual bath.

527
00:25:44,243 --> 00:25:47,011
They had the communal meals
  with no talking.

528
00:25:47,013 --> 00:25:48,746
All studying, no talking,
                  no women.

529
00:25:48,748 --> 00:25:50,047
Yes.

530
00:25:50,049 --> 00:25:51,882
This would not
              have been for me.

531
00:25:51,884 --> 00:25:54,485
I would've been thrown out
in the first week.

532
00:25:54,487 --> 00:25:56,954
Oren shows me
      an engineering wonder

533
00:25:56,956 --> 00:26:00,457
that served as the ceremonial
     center for the essenes.

534
00:26:00,459 --> 00:26:02,326
So this is
              the ritual bath.

535
00:26:04,463 --> 00:26:06,664
Gates: Now what you expect to
see out in the middle

536
00:26:06,666 --> 00:26:08,198
of a bone-dry desert.

537
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,035
So water is coming down here
through that aqueduct system?

538
00:26:11,037 --> 00:26:12,202
Yes.

539
00:26:12,204 --> 00:26:13,671
Wow, so if it pours all the way
    in jerusalem,

540
00:26:13,673 --> 00:26:14,738
it'll come down
through these canyons.

541
00:26:14,740 --> 00:26:16,006
That's correct.

542
00:26:16,008 --> 00:26:17,942
The essenes were very strict
regarding purification,

543
00:26:17,944 --> 00:26:19,243
and this is why we think

544
00:26:19,245 --> 00:26:21,779
that qumran is a settlement
               of the essenes

545
00:26:21,781 --> 00:26:24,582
because you have lots
               of ritual bath.

546
00:26:24,584 --> 00:26:27,985
The essenes were obsessed
     with ritual and purity,

547
00:26:27,987 --> 00:26:31,121
two subjects
   the scrolls mention a lot.

548
00:26:31,123 --> 00:26:34,959
So the obvious question is, did
  the essenes write the scrolls?

549
00:26:34,961 --> 00:26:36,360
That's a very good
      question.

550
00:26:36,362 --> 00:26:38,963
Let me show you where we might
have evidence for that.

551
00:26:38,965 --> 00:26:42,566
Okay.

552
00:26:42,568 --> 00:26:44,835
It's like a maze.
   Yes.

553
00:26:44,837 --> 00:26:47,471
This is the room that's known
 as the scriptorium.

554
00:26:47,473 --> 00:26:48,872
This is
 the scribe's room.

555
00:26:48,874 --> 00:26:50,240
Okay,
      and why is it called that?

556
00:26:50,242 --> 00:26:52,142
Because three inkwells

557
00:26:52,144 --> 00:26:54,111
were found over here
 during excavations.

558
00:26:54,113 --> 00:26:56,380
So we have evidence that writing
 was happening here?

559
00:26:56,382 --> 00:26:58,515
Yes.
               That's correct.

560
00:26:58,517 --> 00:27:00,951
The inkwells, coupled
      with oren's discovery

561
00:27:00,953 --> 00:27:03,387
of a blank scroll,
      suggest that at least

562
00:27:03,389 --> 00:27:06,757
some of the writing
     was done in the desert.

563
00:27:06,759 --> 00:27:08,025
But only three inkwells.

564
00:27:08,027 --> 00:27:09,493
Only three.
It's not enough.

565
00:27:09,495 --> 00:27:12,229
When you have more
              than 865 scrolls,

566
00:27:12,231 --> 00:27:14,898
you need many,
               many inkwells.

567
00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:17,334
For sure, not all
         the scrolls were copied

568
00:27:17,336 --> 00:27:18,602
or written over here.

569
00:27:18,604 --> 00:27:21,505
Rome basically destroyed
       jerusalem the year of 70.

570
00:27:21,507 --> 00:27:26,710
Many refugees escaped
   from jerusalem to the desert.

571
00:27:26,712 --> 00:27:28,278
There is
     another leading theory

572
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,447
as to where
     the scrolls came from.

573
00:27:30,449 --> 00:27:33,017
When rome took over jerusalem
         in the year 70

574
00:27:33,019 --> 00:27:35,452
and destroyed
the second great temple,

575
00:27:35,454 --> 00:27:37,921
the jews likely fled
    with countless treasures

576
00:27:37,923 --> 00:27:42,026
and significant objects to save
  them from the invading army.

577
00:27:42,028 --> 00:27:44,995
Oren and others believed
    that a library of scrolls

578
00:27:44,997 --> 00:27:46,730
may have been saved
         from the temple

579
00:27:46,732 --> 00:27:49,600
and concealed
    in various desert caves.

580
00:27:52,672 --> 00:27:55,205
Do you think there's a chance
that they were storing them

581
00:27:55,207 --> 00:27:57,074
there like a kind of
    time capsule

582
00:27:57,076 --> 00:27:58,742
for at least
 future generations

583
00:27:58,744 --> 00:28:00,811
if not,
  you know, for us?

584
00:28:00,813 --> 00:28:04,181
I'm not sure that they knew that
the dry climate of the dead sea

585
00:28:04,183 --> 00:28:05,916
would preserve it
               for the future,

586
00:28:05,918 --> 00:28:07,618
but in fact, it worked.

587
00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:10,487
For 2,000 years.

588
00:28:10,489 --> 00:28:12,256
The answer to the question
         that has dogged

589
00:28:12,258 --> 00:28:14,058
archaeologists for decades,

590
00:28:14,060 --> 00:28:16,193
"who authored
     the dead sea scrolls?"

591
00:28:16,195 --> 00:28:18,562
may be all of the above.

592
00:28:18,564 --> 00:28:20,230
While it's almost certain
        that some of them

593
00:28:20,232 --> 00:28:22,232
were written here
         by the essenes,

594
00:28:22,234 --> 00:28:24,935
the idea that other scrolls
       came from jerusalem

595
00:28:24,937 --> 00:28:26,837
means that
     it's entirely possible

596
00:28:26,839 --> 00:28:31,408
that they were hidden
     in more than one place.

597
00:28:31,410 --> 00:28:33,077
There are
              many other places

598
00:28:33,079 --> 00:28:35,412
where refugees took
              their treasures,

599
00:28:35,414 --> 00:28:38,982
scrolls, even, not only
     to the dead sea in the east

600
00:28:38,984 --> 00:28:43,253
but also to the west of
     jerusalem, to the lowlands.

601
00:28:43,255 --> 00:28:44,888
And oren, it turns out,

602
00:28:44,890 --> 00:28:47,391
is digging in more
         than one place.

603
00:28:49,929 --> 00:28:52,162
Okay, here we go.

604
00:28:54,033 --> 00:28:56,133
We head to a site known as
            beit lehi

605
00:28:56,135 --> 00:28:58,435
in the remote desert
       west of jerusalem,

606
00:28:58,437 --> 00:29:01,205
where oren's team has uncovered
compelling evidence

607
00:29:01,207 --> 00:29:04,742
that the jews fleeing from
 jerusalem concealed themselves

608
00:29:04,744 --> 00:29:06,977
and perhaps even more scrolls.

609
00:29:06,979 --> 00:29:08,846
Are the roads this great
               the whole way?

610
00:29:08,848 --> 00:29:11,148
Oh, no.
It's getting much worse.

611
00:29:11,150 --> 00:29:14,752
[ both laugh ]

612
00:29:14,754 --> 00:29:17,821
another hour of off-roading
         and we reach beit lehi.

613
00:29:17,823 --> 00:29:26,396
♪

614
00:29:26,398 --> 00:29:30,434
there, we meet oren's colleague,
   archaeologist michal haber.

615
00:29:30,436 --> 00:29:32,503
Michal, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, josh,

616
00:29:32,505 --> 00:29:37,441
and welcome to the ancient
village of beit lehi.

617
00:29:37,443 --> 00:29:39,276
Situated on an important
trade route

618
00:29:39,278 --> 00:29:42,112
between jerusalem
   and the port city of gaza,

619
00:29:42,114 --> 00:29:45,783
beit lehi was first
       settled in 800 bce.

620
00:29:45,785 --> 00:29:48,552
It survived until
        the 14th century,

621
00:29:48,554 --> 00:29:51,054
but it's what lies below
   these ruins that interests

622
00:29:51,056 --> 00:29:54,792
oren and michal, and after
  years of painstaking digging,

623
00:29:54,794 --> 00:29:57,728
they've uncovered something
       truly astonishing.

624
00:29:57,730 --> 00:30:00,130
So you brought all of this down,
         and then what?

625
00:30:00,132 --> 00:30:02,800
And then we found something
      incredible over here.

626
00:30:02,802 --> 00:30:04,535
-Underground?
-Underground.

627
00:30:07,907 --> 00:30:11,241
Gates: What I see is beyond
 anything I could have imagined.

628
00:30:11,243 --> 00:30:14,478
Oh, my god.
       Look at this place!

629
00:30:17,449 --> 00:30:21,051
It's not just a cave but
  an entire network of tunnels,

630
00:30:21,053 --> 00:30:24,655
an underground city
       all carved by hand.

631
00:30:24,657 --> 00:30:26,056
Are you kidding me?

632
00:30:26,058 --> 00:30:27,825
It's enormous!

633
00:30:39,738 --> 00:30:42,272
Gates: My quest to discover
      new dead sea scrolls

634
00:30:42,274 --> 00:30:44,908
brings me to a chamber
   beneath the ancient village

635
00:30:44,910 --> 00:30:50,414
of beit lehi, in the desert
      outside of jerusalem.

636
00:30:50,416 --> 00:30:53,083
Wow, are you kidding me?

637
00:30:53,085 --> 00:30:54,651
It's enormous!

638
00:30:54,653 --> 00:30:55,953
This was all filled in?

639
00:30:55,955 --> 00:30:57,254
Gutfeld: All filled in.

640
00:30:57,256 --> 00:31:00,123
This man-made cavern
    may contain crucial clues

641
00:31:00,125 --> 00:31:04,428
in our search
        for more scrolls.

642
00:31:04,430 --> 00:31:05,896
Michal, help me out.

643
00:31:05,898 --> 00:31:07,030
Where are we?

644
00:31:07,032 --> 00:31:11,802
We are in the depth
          of a massive dovecote.

645
00:31:11,804 --> 00:31:14,838
-Dovecote?
 -Yes, for the raising of doves.

646
00:31:16,809 --> 00:31:19,476
As you can see, we have hundreds
   and hundreds of these niches.

647
00:31:19,478 --> 00:31:22,579
Each one could have held up
          to two or three birds.

648
00:31:22,581 --> 00:31:24,047
This was an industry.

649
00:31:24,049 --> 00:31:26,583
Droppings could have been used
for fertilizer.

650
00:31:26,585 --> 00:31:29,786
They were raised for meat
             and for sacrifice.

651
00:31:29,788 --> 00:31:32,289
Wow, big business.

652
00:31:32,291 --> 00:31:33,757
In the period in question,

653
00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:37,294
when the dead sea scrolls are
 written and then later hidden,

654
00:31:37,296 --> 00:31:39,062
what's going on here
          at beit lehi?

655
00:31:39,064 --> 00:31:44,568
There are really a mass exodus
     from the area of jerusalem.

656
00:31:44,570 --> 00:31:47,537
They were hiding
inside these chambers.

657
00:31:47,539 --> 00:31:50,474
Surely among the refugees
              that were fleeing

658
00:31:50,476 --> 00:31:52,609
were also members
                of the elite.

659
00:31:52,611 --> 00:31:56,380
Perhaps there were scribes
among them.

660
00:31:56,382 --> 00:31:58,715
We make our way through
   the underground labyrinth,

661
00:31:58,717 --> 00:32:01,218
where oren and michal
      have uncovered clues

662
00:32:01,220 --> 00:32:04,154
that jerusalem refugees
        not only hid here

663
00:32:04,156 --> 00:32:06,957
but continued to practice
     their faith in secret.

664
00:32:06,959 --> 00:32:09,293
We have, in the cornice
 above the entrance,

665
00:32:09,295 --> 00:32:11,128
a seven-candle menorah.

666
00:32:11,130 --> 00:32:13,363
2,000-year-old graffiti.

667
00:32:15,267 --> 00:32:18,302
And right next to this ancient
   symbol of the jewish faith,

668
00:32:18,304 --> 00:32:21,772
they produced the sacred oil
    to light the real thing.

669
00:32:21,774 --> 00:32:25,409
What we have here is a typical
early-second temple period

670
00:32:25,411 --> 00:32:26,977
olive oil press,

671
00:32:26,979 --> 00:32:31,782
and it hasn't moved
       for at least 2,100 years.

672
00:32:31,784 --> 00:32:35,986
We found it by means
             of a hiding tunnel.

673
00:32:35,988 --> 00:32:38,388
We saw a huge shaft
                aboveground.

674
00:32:38,390 --> 00:32:39,556
We crawled through.

675
00:32:39,558 --> 00:32:42,759
It dropped us off
              in this chamber.

676
00:32:42,761 --> 00:32:45,262
These so-called hiding tunnels
           were tight,

677
00:32:45,264 --> 00:32:47,764
secret passages
     carved like an anthill

678
00:32:47,766 --> 00:32:50,033
under the city of beit lehi.

679
00:32:50,035 --> 00:32:52,803
They are direct evidence
  that jews fleeing the romans

680
00:32:52,805 --> 00:32:55,105
during the destruction
      of the second temple

681
00:32:55,107 --> 00:32:57,641
perhaps bearing scrolls,

682
00:32:57,643 --> 00:33:00,344
but oren hasn't just
   brought me here for a tour.

683
00:33:00,346 --> 00:33:05,282
♪

684
00:33:05,284 --> 00:33:07,651
above the underground labyrinth,
           oren's team

685
00:33:07,653 --> 00:33:10,854
is investigating a promising
    development at the site.

686
00:33:13,225 --> 00:33:14,458
Josh, this is pablo.

687
00:33:14,460 --> 00:33:16,326
He's the core director
             of the excavation.

688
00:33:16,328 --> 00:33:17,861
-Hello.
           -Hi, josh.

689
00:33:17,863 --> 00:33:19,830
Pablo and his team
      have been conducting

690
00:33:19,832 --> 00:33:21,732
aerial surveys of the ruins,

691
00:33:21,734 --> 00:33:23,900
and they believe
      they found something.

692
00:33:23,902 --> 00:33:26,636
I saw this depression
   from the air, from the drone,

693
00:33:26,638 --> 00:33:27,871
and we wanted to check it

694
00:33:27,873 --> 00:33:30,340
because it looks like
             a blocked entrance

695
00:33:30,342 --> 00:33:33,610
to some underground cave
               or even tunnel.

696
00:33:33,612 --> 00:33:35,645
It goes back, you think?
        Yes, I think so.

697
00:33:35,647 --> 00:33:38,382
Wow.

698
00:33:38,384 --> 00:33:40,617
Gates: Oren's team removes
       the last few rocks

699
00:33:40,619 --> 00:33:43,487
barricading the entrance.

700
00:33:43,489 --> 00:33:45,622
[ speaking
  native language ]

701
00:33:45,624 --> 00:33:48,358
it goes back?
Yes, it goes back.

702
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:49,526
Okay, great.

703
00:33:49,528 --> 00:33:51,962
Okay,
he said that we can go in.

704
00:33:51,964 --> 00:33:56,333
♪

705
00:33:56,335 --> 00:33:57,534
how's it look?

706
00:33:57,536 --> 00:33:59,836
Gutfeld:
Looks like a tunnel or chamber.

707
00:33:59,838 --> 00:34:01,571
Okay,
             I'm going in, josh.

708
00:34:01,573 --> 00:34:04,374
We crawl inside the
  claustrophobic tunnel to see

709
00:34:04,376 --> 00:34:06,610
if it leads
     to more hiding places,

710
00:34:06,612 --> 00:34:08,879
and, who knows,
       perhaps the remains

711
00:34:08,881 --> 00:34:11,181
of undiscovered manuscripts.

712
00:34:11,183 --> 00:34:13,216
Wow, very tight.

713
00:34:13,218 --> 00:34:15,652
Got to kind of shimmy
       in backwards here.

714
00:34:15,654 --> 00:34:17,954
Josh, slide in
              on your stomach.

715
00:34:21,527 --> 00:34:23,260
There's a chamber.

716
00:34:25,664 --> 00:34:27,364
Look at
      all the chisel marks.

717
00:34:27,366 --> 00:34:29,066
I think
             it's a ritual bath.

718
00:34:29,068 --> 00:34:30,667
Like, these would be stairs
going down into here.

719
00:34:30,669 --> 00:34:33,203
Yes.

720
00:34:33,205 --> 00:34:35,405
Wow.

721
00:34:35,407 --> 00:34:38,775
Hey, josh, look.

722
00:34:38,777 --> 00:34:43,880
Unbelievable, another
one of these hiding tunnels.

723
00:34:43,882 --> 00:34:45,949
Yes.
Does it go somewhere?

724
00:34:45,951 --> 00:34:48,785
Let's check.

725
00:34:48,787 --> 00:34:53,523
The narrow tunnel leads upwards
      from the ritual bath.

726
00:34:53,525 --> 00:34:55,492
This is exactly the kind
         of hiding place

727
00:34:55,494 --> 00:34:57,194
we've been looking for,

728
00:34:57,196 --> 00:34:59,896
a prime spot
     to secret away scrolls.

729
00:35:05,804 --> 00:35:07,204
Is it a dead end?

730
00:35:10,909 --> 00:35:12,109
It looks artificial?

731
00:35:12,111 --> 00:35:14,077
Yes.

732
00:35:22,621 --> 00:35:24,921
I'll see
      if they can grab it.

733
00:35:24,923 --> 00:35:27,390
To see if this obstruction
      is part of a collapse

734
00:35:27,392 --> 00:35:30,327
or put in place intentionally
       to hide something,

735
00:35:30,329 --> 00:35:32,395
oren is going to bore
        through the stone

736
00:35:32,397 --> 00:35:34,798
with a powerful
      impact-driver drill,

737
00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,601
which uses concussive force
        and bit rotation

738
00:35:37,603 --> 00:35:40,670
to deliver three times
 the torque of a regular drill.

739
00:35:40,672 --> 00:35:47,210
♪

740
00:35:47,212 --> 00:35:53,783
♪

741
00:35:56,021 --> 00:35:58,421
once we've penetrated the rock,
        we'll peer inside

742
00:35:58,423 --> 00:36:01,191
with a snake cam,
   a miniature camera affixed

743
00:36:01,193 --> 00:36:06,563
to a flexible cable small enough
   to fit through the opening.

744
00:36:06,565 --> 00:36:08,698
Okay, power is on.

745
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:10,367
I'm going to pass you
the camera, okay?

746
00:36:10,369 --> 00:36:12,102
Okay.

747
00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:17,407
Okay, going through.

748
00:36:19,311 --> 00:36:21,811
Oh, my god.
         It keeps going.

749
00:36:21,813 --> 00:36:24,014
Ah, there's a tunnel!

750
00:36:33,892 --> 00:36:38,562
♪

751
00:36:38,564 --> 00:36:41,531
gates: The dead sea is famous
   for more than just scrolls.

752
00:36:41,533 --> 00:36:46,002
Around 37 bce, king herod
 built a palace on these shores,

753
00:36:46,004 --> 00:36:48,104
a desert spa
     on one of the saltiest

754
00:36:48,106 --> 00:36:49,873
bodies of water on earth,

755
00:36:49,875 --> 00:36:52,242
and these ancient mud baths
       and healing waters

756
00:36:52,244 --> 00:36:55,111
are still a major tourist
        attraction today,

757
00:36:55,113 --> 00:36:57,247
said to treat everything
         from arthritis

758
00:36:57,249 --> 00:37:02,552
to sinus infections
to overworked tv hosts...

759
00:37:02,554 --> 00:37:03,920
I could get used to this.

760
00:37:03,922 --> 00:37:05,255
...And, of course,

761
00:37:05,257 --> 00:37:07,591
his overworked camera crew.

762
00:37:07,593 --> 00:37:09,326
All right.
       Boys, back to work.

763
00:37:09,328 --> 00:37:11,294
-Aw, come on.
            -Come on.

764
00:37:11,296 --> 00:37:15,332
Okay, 5 minutes
    and a few more of these.

765
00:37:15,334 --> 00:37:17,500
Bartender?

766
00:37:27,946 --> 00:37:30,747
I'm in a subterranean chamber
   beneath the ancient village

767
00:37:30,749 --> 00:37:33,650
of beit lehi,
 searching for sacred documents

768
00:37:33,652 --> 00:37:36,119
from the time
    of the dead sea scrolls.

769
00:37:38,457 --> 00:37:41,591
Jewish refugees fleeing
 the roman invasion of jerusalem

770
00:37:41,593 --> 00:37:43,693
sought shelter
in these tunnels,

771
00:37:43,695 --> 00:37:46,796
and they may have secured
  their most prized possession,

772
00:37:46,798 --> 00:37:50,667
scrolls from the second temple,
   behind this stone blockade.

773
00:37:50,669 --> 00:37:53,336
Okay, going through.

774
00:37:53,338 --> 00:37:55,872
Oh, my god.
         It keeps going.

775
00:37:55,874 --> 00:37:59,709
Ah, there's a tunnel, amazing!

776
00:37:59,711 --> 00:38:01,645
Do you think we can
      break that rock out?

777
00:38:01,647 --> 00:38:04,014
Yeah, we need the pickaxes
and try to break it.

778
00:38:04,016 --> 00:38:06,783
Okay,
    pulling the camera back.

779
00:38:06,785 --> 00:38:09,486
We have no idea where
     this passageway leads,

780
00:38:09,488 --> 00:38:11,554
but whoever placed
       the stone slab here

781
00:38:11,556 --> 00:38:14,457
must have done it
 to protect something important.

782
00:38:17,763 --> 00:38:20,096
Oren chips away
      at the soft limestone

783
00:38:20,098 --> 00:38:23,366
to clear our path.

784
00:38:23,368 --> 00:38:26,002
It's moving.

785
00:38:26,004 --> 00:38:28,371
Ah, look at that!

786
00:38:30,842 --> 00:38:33,777
Nice work, man.

787
00:38:33,779 --> 00:38:35,478
Want to come in?

788
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,847
Yes, I want to come in,
              I think, sort of.

789
00:38:37,849 --> 00:38:39,115
Are we brave enough?

790
00:38:39,117 --> 00:38:40,283
Oh, I'm brave enough.

791
00:38:40,285 --> 00:38:41,618
I'm dumb enough.

792
00:38:41,620 --> 00:38:44,954
The question is,
             am I small enough?

793
00:38:44,956 --> 00:38:47,223
[ grunts ]

794
00:38:49,394 --> 00:38:52,462
we crawl inside, entering
     an unexplored labyrinth

795
00:38:52,464 --> 00:38:56,299
no one has seen
        for 2,000 years.

796
00:38:59,538 --> 00:39:02,339
These tunnels are
kind of infuriating.

797
00:39:02,341 --> 00:39:05,442
They're not quite tall enough
          to crouch in,

798
00:39:05,444 --> 00:39:08,845
so you're constantly
    on your hands and knees.

799
00:39:08,847 --> 00:39:11,047
Oh, we're going down,
                    josh.

800
00:39:11,049 --> 00:39:13,983
There's a passage
               that goes down.

801
00:39:13,985 --> 00:39:16,286
Ah!

802
00:39:16,288 --> 00:39:17,654
Oren.
                   Yes, josh.

803
00:39:17,656 --> 00:39:18,955
You okay?
                   I am okay.

804
00:39:18,957 --> 00:39:20,256
Come down.

805
00:39:20,258 --> 00:39:21,991
Okay.

806
00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:27,097
Josh...

807
00:39:30,969 --> 00:39:33,370
[ groans loudly ]

808
00:39:35,507 --> 00:39:37,674
we venture deeper
     into the tunnel system.

809
00:39:37,676 --> 00:39:40,009
Hey, josh.

810
00:39:43,315 --> 00:39:45,949
Suddenly, the tight chamber
            opens up.

811
00:39:49,888 --> 00:39:51,621
Wow, look at this.

812
00:39:55,327 --> 00:39:58,228
Looks like a dead rat.

813
00:39:58,230 --> 00:39:59,996
Oh, a spider.

814
00:39:59,998 --> 00:40:02,832
Oh, come on.

815
00:40:02,834 --> 00:40:05,668
Gah, that's a big one.

816
00:40:09,141 --> 00:40:10,607
Hey, look at this.
     Come here.

817
00:40:10,609 --> 00:40:11,808
Come here.
Look, there's pottery.

818
00:40:11,810 --> 00:40:15,578
Ah, yes?
     Yeah, see it?

819
00:40:15,580 --> 00:40:17,714
♪

820
00:40:20,685 --> 00:40:22,419
cooking pot?

821
00:40:25,457 --> 00:40:28,892
So people were probably living
 in rooms like this.

822
00:40:28,894 --> 00:40:30,593
Yes.
                There's more.

823
00:40:30,595 --> 00:40:32,896
More of it?
                          Yes.

824
00:40:32,898 --> 00:40:35,198
It's clear that refugees
         from jerusalem

825
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,734
didn't just shelter here
         for a few days.

826
00:40:37,736 --> 00:40:40,737
They lived here, hiding from
the threat of roman forces.

827
00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:42,572
So much pottery.

828
00:40:42,574 --> 00:40:44,574
Gates: You didn't even have to
                 dig for it.

829
00:40:44,576 --> 00:40:48,044
And if they lived here, they may
 have brought scrolls with them.

830
00:40:48,046 --> 00:40:49,679
Wow, look, with the handle.

831
00:40:49,681 --> 00:40:54,083
Oh, look at that,
          the handle of the pot.

832
00:40:54,085 --> 00:40:55,618
Oh, that's beautiful.

833
00:40:55,620 --> 00:40:57,787
Second temple period
     store jar.

834
00:40:57,789 --> 00:40:59,522
Look at that.

835
00:40:59,524 --> 00:41:01,591
That is awesome.

836
00:41:01,593 --> 00:41:03,593
The dead sea scrolls
       have all been found

837
00:41:03,595 --> 00:41:05,962
in storage jars like this.

838
00:41:05,964 --> 00:41:08,331
The next chapter in the saga
         of the scrolls

839
00:41:08,333 --> 00:41:11,167
may be hidden
      in this very chamber.

840
00:41:11,169 --> 00:41:12,802
Oh, oh, look at that.

841
00:41:12,804 --> 00:41:14,737
Oh, look at that!

842
00:41:14,739 --> 00:41:17,040
Oh, my god.

843
00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:22,512
♪

844
00:41:22,514 --> 00:41:25,381
next time,
   on "expedition unknown"...

845
00:41:25,383 --> 00:41:27,984
What makes this scroll
     so different than the rest?

846
00:41:27,986 --> 00:41:31,554
We have descriptions
    of treasures.

847
00:41:33,725 --> 00:41:38,495
65 bars of gold
at the sharp edge of the rock.

848
00:41:38,497 --> 00:41:39,963
"sharp edge of the rock"...
 Yes.

849
00:41:39,965 --> 00:41:41,698
There's a lot
               of sharp rocks.

850
00:41:44,569 --> 00:41:48,238
Oh, my god.
   That's writing!

851
00:41:48,240 --> 00:41:49,639
You think this could be
                 the place?

852
00:41:49,641 --> 00:41:51,174
I'm positive.

853
00:41:51,176 --> 00:41:53,676
[ laughs ]
look at this!

854
00:41:53,678 --> 00:41:56,012
It goes way, way back.