Filming The Dead Sea Scrolls

Being the most important archeological find of the 20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls have been the topic of many films and documentaries produced in Israel.

Following the initial excitement of their discovery, the Dead Sea Scrolls still fascinate the world today. I have filmed many times in Qumran National Park, which is the location they were unearthed. For me, as a film producer who provides production services in Israel, it was most interesting to explore the Caves in the Qumran area.  The scrolls were not kept together but were found scattered throughout eleven different caves.

Last month I was filming on locations in Israel for the Travel Channel, we filmed early in the morning in ‘Cave Three’ with L.A production company Morning Start.

Cave Three is important because that is where the famous copper scroll was found. The original scroll is now in the Jordanian National Museum; last year we filmed in Jordan with The Travel Channel.

The copper scroll is unlike the other scrolls, it is the only one not made from paper. The copper scroll contains engravings and a list of treasures that includes a huge amount of gold, silver, priceless vessels and coins, believed to weigh around 100 tons! The scroll makes reference to places where this treasure was hidden, but although many have sought to locate it, the locations remain a mystery to this day. The assumption is that the Temple treasure is included on the scroll’s catalogue of priceless items.

This scroll has inspired many around the world, including the film industry, treasure hunters, historians, and many more. In fact, the episode that we shot in Israel for the Travel Channel is all about the copper scroll this is part of the series Secret Worlds. The host, Michael Arbuthnot an archeologist intrigued us with his knowledge and I urge you to watch the show – click on our website www.biblicalproductions.com for the time and date of the airing, which is still to be announced.

Returning to the caves; filming in many locations in Israel needs local and industry knowledge, language skills and expertise.  It is necessary to be ready with the right permit in order to film in and around the caves of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Permits can be very difficult to obtain and we were only given permission to film 24 hours before the filming started! It took endless meetings, explanation, negotiation and familiarity with local bureaucracy to obtain our authorization. You  need a lot of patience for this job!

As well as the cave we filmed in, there is also ‘Cave One’, which is the most complicated cave to reach. We will be filming there in two months time for a new client. The climb alone can take hours.

In pre-production  for my filming, I found out about a lesser known scroll called the ‘Jerusalem Scroll’, which was also found in the Qumran Caves. I’m in contact with one of the head researchers who tells me it describes everyday life in Jerusalem during the second temple period.