The Department of Antiquities was established in East Jordan in 1923 as part of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine. In 1928, East of Jordan separated its administration from the Mandate Government in Palestine and, as a result, created an independent Department of Antiquities. Please click here for all publications. 

Explore the treasures of the Dead Sea Scrolls. While the precious Scrolls are secured in climate-controlled vaults, their secrets are laid bare here. View infrared photos from the 1950s archive and examine the latest high-definition spectral images, which enhance the texts' visibility and readability. Browse the fragments by Site, Language, or Content or use the "free search" option and let your imagination be your guide.

The discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls in a remote Judean Desert cave in 1947 is widely considered the greatest archaeological event of the twentieth century. Bedouin treasure hunters and archaeologists ultimately found the remains of hundreds of ancient scrolls. These fragile pieces of parchment and papyrus, including the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible, were preserved for two thousand years by the hot, dry desert climate and the darkness of the caves where they were placed. The scrolls provide an unprecedented picture of the diverse religious beliefs of ancient Judaism, and of daily life during the turbulent Second Temple period when Jesus lived and preached.

As part of the conservation efforts to preserve the Scrolls for future generations, the IAA has initiated the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls digitization project. Using the most advanced and innovative imaging technology, each Scroll fragment is imaged in various wavelengths and in the highest resolution possible then uploaded to the Digital Library. For the first time ever, the Dead Sea Scrolls archive is becoming available to the public online.