An ancient Hebrew scroll that was destroyed in a fire and was seemingly impenetrable has finally become readable and scientists have uncovered the verses it contained, which came from the book of Leviticus.

The exciting breakthrough was achieved through a high-tech process called “virtual wrapping."

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“We are reading a real scroll," University of Kentucky professor in the computer science department Brent Seales said. "It hasn`t been read for millennia. Many thought that it was improbable to read.”

While the parchment`s precise age was not exactly known, radiocarbon dating suggested that it could be from about the third or fourth century. It was discovered in 1970 and was likely scorched in a synagogue fire in the year 600 AD.

Seales further explained that the scientists got their breakthrough after a scan of the fragile scroll was made in Israel using a micro-CT scanner, after which his team digitally unpacked the rolled and charred object.

They later consulted a team of experts from Israel for the analysis of the lines in Hebrew.

Seales said that the real joy came when an expert with the Israel Antiquities Authority sent him back the results because he then knew that the writings they were seeing were readable.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem biblical scholar Michael Segal  shared that he and a colleague, Emmanuel Tov, analyzed the scroll after the team in Kentucky made it readable.

The burned Hebrew scroll, which has been named the En-Gedi scroll, has consonants but does not have vowels. It was noted that it represents the oldest scroll in Hebrew for the first five books of the Bible.

TagsBurned Hebrew Scroll Translated, Hebrew Scroll, Hebrew Scroll Decoded