Dead Sea Scrolls: Copper Scroll
The Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but differs significantly from the others. Whereas the other scrolls are written on parchment or papyrus, this scroll is written on metal and its Hebrew, orthography, palaeography and date (c.50-100 AD) differ from the others. Furthermore, it is not a literary work, but a list of locations at which various items of gold and silver are buried or hidden.
The text is an inventory of 64 locations; 63 of which are treasures of gold and silver, which have been estimated in the tons.
The following English translation of the opening lines of the first column of the Copper Scroll shows the basic structure of each of the entries in the scroll. The structure is 1) general location, 2) specific location, often with distance to dig, and 3) what to find.
1:1 In the ruin that is in the valley of Acor, under
1:2 the steps, with the entrance at the East,
1:3 a distance of forty cubits: a strongbox of silver and its vessels
1:4 with a weight of seventeen talents. KεN.
It has been suggested that the Ancient Romans found the treasure, however, there is no conclusive proof of this and, as such, it is likely the treasure has never been found.
