Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? Science may have the answer.

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THE BIBLE OF JESUS? Tuesday, August 22, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn that more  women are dying from alcohol than ever before, find new clues in an all-important Biblical mystery, question the impact of nuclear wastewater about to be released into the Pacific ... and meet the folks feeding Australia’s urban flying foxes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAOLO VERZONE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION The three cousins were looking for a lost goat. Instead, they stumbled upon a 2,000-year-old treasure trove of Biblical texts in caves near the Dead Sea, including the oldest written version of the Ten Commandments. Since the 1946 blockbuster find, scholars have shifted ideas about the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include all but one of the books of the Hebrew canon (Christian Old Testament). Some of the writing appears to have been done much earlier than previously thought. WHO WROTE THEM?

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PHOTOGRAPH BY RAFAEL BEN-ARI, ALAMY Clues: This mikveh (or ritual bathing pool) is believed by some to be evidence that the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls were from a reclusive breakaway order known as the Essenes. Pictured at top, a Dominican priest reconstructs the text of a fragment of the Great Psalms Scroll. Read more. Related: How the Virgin Mary became the world’s most powerful woman How did Jesus’ parents become a couple? Here’s what biblical scholars say.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARTUR WIDAK, NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

More women are dying of alcohol than ever before. Here’s why. (Above, a woman and two martinis) Japan is set to release nuclear wastewater into the Pacific this week. How worried should we be? Volcanoes don’t just erupt on schedule—but they have been in Iceland How much protein do you really need? Consider these factors. Your gut health can affect the rest of your body. Here’s why.

What does your hair actually need? How wildfire smoke can permanently damage your brain and body Everyone knows the story of Jack the Ripper. This is the story of the women he murdered. Your eyes are very vulnerable to the sun. Here’s how to protect yourself. Why your mental map of the world is (probably) wrong

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY TAMARA MERINO A disappearing wonder? These glaciers tell more than a tale of awe and amazement. The giant ice mountains bring attention to the climate crisis the world is facing. “Take your photo, and the come back in five years and take another, so that you can see the difference that way I see it,” a park ranger tells us. Where is this glacier? A. Chile B. Iceland C. Nepal D. Switzerland CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG GIMESY Struggle to hang on: Flying foxes are a threatened species—and they face threats from Australia’s urban infrastructure, from nets to barbed wire. Above, two caretakers—each with a flying fox draped on them—prepare a meal for recently orphaned pups. These creatures would normally be hanging on their mother, but under human care, they direct their affection toward people. FEEDING FLYING FOXES

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS P. PESCHAK Careful: Watch what you look at after a natural disaster or some sea attack. Many times, the first photos on social media feature sharks. Nat Geo’s Tom Peschak knows this very well—often people misrepresent his very real shark photo (above). Here’s how he got this image.  FIND OUT MORE

Today’s soundtrack: Dead Sea, The Lumineers Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. We'd love to hear from you: david.beard@natgeo.com. Keep shining!

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