A new Dead Sea Scrolls cave has been discovered — and it might not be the last

In the rocky cliffs of Wadi Qumran, near the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Virginia's Liberty University unearthed a remarkable discovery.

They say they found a new cave that their excavations show once held Dead Sea Scrolls, making the total number of Dead Sea Scroll caves 12 instead of 11, as was previously thought. The 11th cave was found 60 years ago.

"This is one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries, and the most important in the last 60 years, in the caves of Qumran," Oren Gutfeld, an archaeologist at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology and director of the excavation, said in a Hebrew University press release announcing the news.

But their excavations also revealed that someone else got there first and looted the caves. Jars that once held scrolls were broken open, their contents removed. Iron pickax heads from the 1950s were stored in the tunnel leading into the cave, which the researchers say indicates Bedouins uncovered the site in the mid-20th century and removed the scrolls.

They left behind fragments of pottery, blank parchment, and cloth that the scrolls likely were wrapped in, along with flint blades, arrowheads, and a decorative stamp that helps date the remnants in the cave.

"Although at the end of the day no scroll was found, and instead we 'only' found a piece of parchment rolled up in a jug that was being processed for writing, the findings indicate beyond any doubt that the cave contained scrolls that were stolen," Gutfeld said. "The findings include the jars in which the scrolls and their covering were hidden, a leather strap for binding the scroll, a cloth that wrapped the scrolls, tendons, and pieces of skin connecting fragments, and more."

And in a way, this changes what we know about the scrolls, which date back to the Second Temple period, or about 530 BC to 70 AD. They include some of the first copies of biblical texts and many other documents from that period.

As Smithsonian magazine explained, these documents have revealed much of what we know about two major world religions and shed light on what life was like at that time: "The Dead Sea Scrolls — comprising more than 800 documents made of animal skin, papyrus, and even forged copper — deepened our understanding of the Bible and shed light on the histories of Judaism and Christianity."

Fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls are thought to have appeared on the "antiquity black market" over the years, according to CNN, which has driven researchers to scour the desert for other caves. The fact that a new cave was found means that what's known about the origin of all known scroll fragments may be incomplete or inaccurate — some may not have come from known caves.

"This exciting excavation is the closest we've come to discovering new Dead Sea scrolls in 60 years. Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea Scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the 12th cave," Gutfeld said. "We can no longer be certain that the original locations (Caves 1 through 11) attributed to the Dead Sea scrolls that reached the market via the Bedouins are accurate."

This excavation, which the press release says is part of "Operation Scroll," indicates that more may be out there to be discovered.

"The important discovery of another scroll cave attests to the fact that a lot of work remains to be done in the Judean Desert and finds of huge importance are still waiting to be discovered," Israel Hasson, director general of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in the release.