Google puts Dead Sea Scrolls online

JERUSALEM?? More than six decades since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls ? and thousands of years after they were written ? Israel on Tuesday put 5,000 images of the ancient biblical artifacts online in a partnership with Google.

The digital library contains the Book of Deuteronomy, which includes the second listing of the Ten Commandments, and a portion of the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, dated to the first century B.C.

Israeli officials said this is part of an attempt by the custodians of the celebrated manuscripts ? often criticized for allowing them to be monopolized by small circles of scholars ? to make them broadly available.

"Only five conservators worldwide are authorized to handle the Dead Sea Scrolls," said Shuka Dorfman, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "Now, everyone can touch the scroll on screen around the globe."

Last year, Google partnered with the Israel Museum to put five scrolls online.

1. Science news from NBCNews.com

   1. Microscopic beauty found in a slimeball

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: You might not think something wonderful can be found in a ball of slime ? but a prize-winning video of the microscopic creatures in a slimeball proves it's possible.

   2. Is 'reality' unreal? Scientists aim to find out
   3. Thar's gold in them thar termite nests!
   4. The earthquake that killed the king

The scrolls, considered one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century, are thought to have been written or collected by an ascetic Jewish sect that fled Jerusalem to the desert 2,000 years ago and settled at Qumran, near the shore of the Dead Sea. The hundreds of manuscripts found in caves near the site have shed light on the development of the Hebrew Bible and the origins of Christianity.

Google says the new digital library took two years to assemble, using technology first developed by NASA. The multimedia website allows users to zoom in on various fragments, with translations and Google maps alongside.

Google hopes to further expand its project. Two months ago, Google launched a "Cultural Institute," a digital visual archive of historical events in cooperation with 17 museums and institutes around the world.

"We're working to bring important cultural and historical materials online and help preserve them for future generations," said Yossi Matias, head of Google's Research and Development Center in Israel. "Our partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority is another step toward enabling users to enjoy cultural material around the world."

Online:
The Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50239063/ns/technology_and_science-science/

torrey smith torrey smith oakland raiders Jessica Lange NFL scores week 3 kat dennings Steve Sabol