AI Reveals Some Dead Sea Scrolls Are Older Than Estimated

Quick Summary

• An AI-based date-prediction model, named Enoch, has been developed to estimate the chronology of undated ancient handwritten manuscripts.
• Enoch was trained on handwriting styles using 24 dated scroll samples combined with radiocarbon dating data from historic manuscripts found in Israel and the West Bank.
• Researchers tested Enoch’s accuracy on 135 Dead Sea Scrolls,with approximately 79% of its estimates deemed realistic by experts.
• The study revealed that AI predictions and radiocarbon dating determined older ages for many scrolls compared to traditional handwriting analysis methods.
• The researchers cited interdisciplinary collaboration as critical to creating this tool, which may also benefit the study of other ancient manuscript collections.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The advent of AI tools like Enoch represents a remarkable advancement in archaeological research methodology. For India, where numerous ancient texts lack precise dating – such as Vedic literature or early regional manuscripts – technology like this offers significant potential for reconstructing cultural timelines accurately. Implementing a similar approach could aid India’s historians and archaeologists in better understanding historical narratives while preserving its extensive literary heritage.

Furthermore,the success rate noted (79%) highlights room for refinement but underscores how interdisciplinary collaboration can bridge gaps between traditional methods and technological innovation. Utilizing such tools within India’s historically rich but complex archaeological dataset could foster global collaborative efforts in evaluating shared histories across cultures.

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