A study in PLOS One, titled “Dating Ancient Manuscripts Using Radiocarbon and AI-Based Writing Style Analysis”, suggests that a third of tested Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) manuscripts were composed earlier than previously thought. Using an AI program named “Enoch” and radiocarbon dating, researchers analyzed 30 manuscripts, with 26 yielding valid results. Nine manuscripts, including 4Q2 (Genesis), 4Q27 (Numbers), and 4Q30 (Deuteronomy), showed earlier dates than traditional paleographic estimates. Notably, 4Q114 (Daniel) dates to ca. 230–160 BC, challenging the view that Daniel was composed around 160 BC. This suggests Daniel was copied and circulated as canonical earlier, supporting its historical reliability and biblical references to its prophetic significance (e.g., Daniel 9).
Sources:
- Bible Archaeology: New Study Proposes Earlier Composition Dates for Some Dead Sea Scrolls
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323185
