The Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947, a missing goat led to the chance discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient Jewish manuscripts became one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.

British archaeologist Gerald Lankester Harding was one of the key figures in the early investigation of the scrolls. In a BBC recording made in 1949, he describes how they were found, the painstaking excavation that followed and the search to uncover their origins and significance.

This episode was produced by Helen Ledwick in collaboration with the BBC Archives.

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(Photo: Gerald Lankester Harding, Director of Antiquities of Jordan, pieces together fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Credit: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)