The Shamanic Essenes, Keepers of the Dead Sea Scrolls And Other Secrets

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Morning Prayers’ (circa 1936) by Otto Pliny. The Essenes were thought to have had specific prayers related to the sunrise. Source: Public Domain

The Shamanic Essenes, Keepers of the Dead Sea Scrolls And Other Secrets

On the fourth floor of the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC, there is a permanent exhibit that many thousands of people have gladly paid more than $20 to visit in order to gaze with rapt attention at fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Carefully sealed in climate-controlled glass cases, protected from the hands of an adoring public, they are considered the most prized portion of the museum's extensive collection. Visitors read the story of their discovery and translation and are duly impressed by this precious example of archaeology at its finest.

The Isaiah scroll contains almost the whole Book of Isaiah. (Public Domain)

The Isaiah scroll contains almost the whole Book of Isaiah. (Public Domain)

Unfortunately, in early March of 2020, the museum was forced to announce that the entire collection, every one of the fragments so lovingly protected with high-tech equipment, financed by the entry fees of the multitudes of adoring fans, was fake. Sixteen fragments form the heart of the exhibit. Each one is a forgery, some produced as late as the 20th century. They fooled even the most careful collectors.


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