They could be the earliest Christian writing in existence, surviving almost 2,000 years in a Jordanian cave. They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born.
A group of 70 or so “books”, each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007.
A flash flood had exposed two niches inside the cave, one of them marked with a menorah or candlestick, the ancient Jewish religious symbol.
I suppose the people who come to mind are the Nabateans who were annexed by the Romans in 106AD and became Christian in the 4th-5th Centuries AD. Fascinating as there is almost no written record from them, only their wonderful buildings. However, the use of Jewish symbols has been noted.
It would be good if these books could be secured and put under examination by some more mainstream scholars. This all seems a bit ad hoc and wacky at the moment. Meanwhile, an open mind.
Archaeology is so fascinating! I hope the progress of this group is publicized. LOL, it’s odd to think of bedouins bopping around with things this priceless.
This is painfully tantalizing. Where would one go to follow the fate of these peculiar books? Larry