Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit at the Reagan Library Continues to Draw Crowds and Reveal New Discoveries
(CLAIR | SIMI VALLEY, CA) — Since opening in November 2024, the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum has drawn visitors from across the country, offering a rare chance to see 2,000-year-old manuscripts up close. This exhibit, created in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), showcases some of the oldest known biblical texts, alongside 200 other artifacts from the Second Temple period.
Beyond the historical significance of the scrolls themselves, advancements in digital restoration technology are allowing scholars to reveal previously unreadable texts, uncovering long-lost insights into ancient religious and cultural life.
For decades, thousands of Dead Sea Scroll fragments remained unreadable due to their fragile condition. Today, thanks to cutting-edge imaging techniques, scholars are unlocking newly discovered writings that have been hidden for centuries.
Brent Seales, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky, has led groundbreaking research in virtual unwrapping, a method that allows researchers to digitally reconstruct and read texts buried inside damaged scrolls. His work has been instrumental in decoding previously illegible sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
“We are using technology to reveal new text from some of the world’s most storied collections,” Seales said in an interview with UK Now – University of Kentucky News. “The invisible library of texts obscured by damage represents an immense technical challenge, but it also holds massive potential for discovery.”
This method has already revealed clear images of ancient writing on previously unreadable fragments, including texts written in Hebrew and Aramaic. Scholars from the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Kentucky have analyzed these letters, noting that they could belong to either language, as both were used in Qumran texts.
“The script itself is Aramaic ‘square’ style (Ashurit script), which is the same writing system as what one would recognize as written Hebrew today,” said Jim Ridolfo, an associate professor in Jewish Studies and the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies at the University of Kentucky. “At the time the Dead Sea Scrolls were penned, both scripts and languages were present at the site.”
While many questions remain, these discoveries have energized scholars. Eric Welch, a senior lecturer at the Lewis Honors College, explained the challenge of identifying biblical texts from fragments.
“For example, if we revealed the letters NEC, I couldn’t conclude that the language was English or Spanish, because I could be looking at ‘NECESSARY’ or ‘NECESARIO,'” Welch said in a statement from the University of Kentucky News. “In the same way, a small set of characters makes it difficult to determine which biblical text this might be.”
A Journey Through Time: The Dead Sea Scrolls’ Discovery
The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947, when a Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon ancient manuscripts in a cave near Qumran in what is now the West Bank. Over the following decade, archaeologists excavated thousands of manuscript fragments from 11 caves, dating between 250 BCE and 68 CE.
These fragile parchments survived for over 2,000 years in the dry desert climate. Their contents include the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), as well as other religious writings that offer insight into Jewish beliefs, traditions, and daily life before the destruction of the Second Temple.
The Reagan Library exhibit marks the 75th anniversary of their discovery, offering visitors a chance to explore these texts firsthand.
Exhibit Highlights: Rare Artifacts from Ancient Judea
Since the exhibit opened, thousands of visitors have seen not only the Dead Sea Scrolls, but also artifacts that bring the ancient world to life. Key highlights include:
The Great Psalms Scroll Fragment – One of the most complete and well-preserved Dead Sea Scrolls, featuring Psalms not found in the Hebrew Bible.
The Magdala Stone – A first-century artifact from the Second Temple Period, believed to be one of the earliest depictions of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The “Jesus Boat” – A 1st-century CE fishing boat found in the Sea of Galilee in 1986, measuring 27 feet long and 7.5 feet wide, reconstructed using wood from the original vessel.
Ancient Ossuaries – Small stone burial boxes used for secondary burials, shedding light on Jewish beliefs about the afterlife and family life.
Artifacts from Masada – Inscriptions, pottery, and textiles from Masada, the famous fortress where Jewish rebels made their final stand against Rome.
Tyrian Shekels – The silver coins used to pay the annual Temple tax, mentioned in the New Testament.
Public Response & Continued Interest
The exhibit has drawn visitors from across the country, with many expressing amazement at the preservation of the scrolls and the technology used to study them.
“Seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls in person is incredible, but knowing that we’re still uncovering new texts using digital tools makes it even more exciting,” one visitor told Fox News.
David Trulio, President & CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, spoke about the significance of the exhibit in a statement to Fox News:
“The Dead Sea Scrolls are foundational to the development of the great monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. President Reagan was deeply shaped by his faith, and we are proud to bring these ancient treasures to the public.”
Ongoing Discoveries & the Future of the Scrolls
As the Reagan Library exhibit continues through Fall 2025, researchers remain hopeful that more unreadable fragments will be deciphered using new technology and imaging techniques. Scholars believe that some fragments may contain unknown biblical texts, while others could provide insights into political and religious debates from over 2,000 years ago.
As Brent Seales and his team continue their research, they remain optimistic about unlocking even more hidden texts.
“Overcoming damage incurred during a 2,000-year span is no small challenge,” Seales told University of Kentucky News. “But with grit, innovation, and collaboration, we are revealing writings that were once thought to be lost forever.”
Plan Your Visit
📍 Location: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, CA
📅 Exhibit Runs Through: Fall 2025
🕙 Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST
🎟 Tickets: General admission starts at $29.95, including full museum access
With new discoveries emerging in real time, this exhibit offers more than just a glimpse into the past—it provides a front-row seat to history still being uncovered today.
