CLASSIC: Is the Dead Sea copper scroll an ancient treasure map?

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture

4.3 • 10.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2025

⏱️ 74 minutes

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Summary

Odds are you've heard of the Dead Sea scrolls -- when the first of these ancient texts were discovered in the 1940s, the scrolls revolutionized our understanding of the past, and, in some cases, gave historians and archaeologists more questions than answers. One scroll, discovered in 1952, remains unique in the collection. It doesn't contain religious information, and it doesn't recount earlier stories from the region. Instead, this scroll (the only one written on copper) appears to be a treasure guide. In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel ask: What happened to the gold, silver and artifacts catalogued on the scroll? Were these caches discovered thousands of years ago... or are these hidden treasures still somewhere out there today, waiting to be discovered?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Fellow conspiracy realist, we're returning with an extra classic episode for you this week back in 2020, ye old days of the pandemic.
0:11.6	We got super into hidden history, and we were fascinated by the concept of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
0:21.4	Oh, yes, the scrolls found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Oh, yes.
0:22.7	The scrolls found in the Dead Sea in a cave.
0:27.0	Very creatively named.
0:28.1	Why isn't Cave part of the name?
0:29.5	There should be the Dead Sea Cave Scrolls.
0:31.8	Yeah, that's true.
0:32.6	It's true.
0:32.8	I don't know.
0:33.3	I feel like a missed opportunity there.
0:35.1	These were ancient biblical artifacts, correct,
0:38.5	containing early translations of biblical material guys?
0:43.1	Help me out here.
0:43.9	I might be mischaracterizing it grossly.
0:46.3	It's weird because they weren't discovered until the 1940s.
0:52.0	They were languishing in historical obscurity until a lucky encounter by
0:58.0	some nerdy Spelunkers. I just wanted to say Spelunking. But there's one scroll amid the collection. It was
1:06.2	discovered in 1952 and it's unique. It doesn't have religious information. It doesn't, you know,
1:11.8	like you're saying, no, it doesn't recount earlier stories from the area. Instead, it appears to be
1:17.8	a kind of treasure map. It's also the only scroll written on copper, which is weird.
1:24.0	What happens when we come face to face with death? My truck was blown up by a 20-pound anti-taint mine.
	...

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