A new artificial intelligence system is rewriting the history of some of humanity’s most sacred texts. Researchers have discovered that several of the Dead Sea Scrolls ancient Jewish manuscripts found in the Qumran caves of the Judean desert may be older than previously estimated, thanks to the use of AI-powered analysis and refined radiocarbon dating techniques.

The breakthrough comes from a research team at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, led by Professor Mladen Popović, who developed an AI program called “Enoch” named after a biblical figure often associated with ancient wisdom. The project combines machine learning with updated radiocarbon data to achieve more precise, non-invasive dating of the centuries-old scroll fragments.

A Marriage of Ancient Ink and Modern Intelligence

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered between 1946 and 1956, are widely regarded as one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century. Composed of more than 900 manuscripts, they include early versions of the Hebrew Bible, legal texts, and sectarian writings. Traditionally dated between the third century BCE and the second century CE, the scrolls offer a window into Jewish life and thought during a formative era of religious history.

However, traditional dating methods based on paleographic analysis (the study of ancient handwriting) and radiocarbon dating have left room for uncertainty. Factors such as ink aging, script evolution, and contamination from substances like castor oil used in mid-century conservation treatments have often skewed results.

To address these limitations, Popović’s team trained Enoch on 62 high-resolution images of ink traces from 24 already-dated scrolls. The AI system learned to detect minute stylistic details in handwriting and cross-reference them with verified timelines. When tested against 16 additional manuscripts, Enoch successfully predicted dates consistent with radiocarbon results in 85% of cases and frequently offered a more precise range.

Rewriting Biblical Timelines

The most striking revelation from this AI-enhanced study is that some scrolls may date back closer to the time of their purported authors, rather than generations later as previously believed. For example, a fragment from the Book of Daniel a biblical text long debated by scholars was found to align chronologically with its traditional author’s lifetime, rather than a later period of redaction.

These new dates challenge long-held assumptions about the development and dissemination of early Jewish texts. If the scrolls were indeed written earlier than thought, they may represent first-generation copies of theological and legal traditions that later shaped both Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity.

“This fundamentally changes our understanding of how, when, and why these texts were written,” said Professor Popović. “The implications span scriptural interpretation, religious history, and even questions about textual authenticity.”

Non-Destructive Innovation

One of the most notable benefits of the AI-assisted approach is that it eliminates the need to physically sample scroll fragments a process that has historically posed risks to the fragile documents. Instead, Enoch can analyze high-resolution images, preserving the integrity of the manuscripts while still producing high-confidence age estimates.

Combined with new radiocarbon dating protocols where researchers meticulously removed layers of contaminant castor oil from 30 scroll samples this dual-method approach has the potential to become the gold standard for dating ancient manuscripts.

A New Era of AI-Assisted Archaeology

Beyond its impact on the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this research signals a new frontier in the application of AI to cultural heritage. Experts believe the Enoch system could eventually be used to examine other ancient texts and artifacts, helping historians piece together lost timelines, regional authorship patterns, and even sociopolitical movements based on writing trends.

“These tools are not just about accelerating research,” said Dr. Esther Cohen, a digital humanities specialist not involved in the study. “They’re about asking new questions that were previously out of reach.”

As the lines between ancient knowledge and modern technology continue to blur, AI models like Enoch are proving that the past still has secrets to share ones that can only be unlocked with 21st-century intelligence.