DISCOVERY AND PURCHASE OF THE SCROLLS

first opportunity, not only to confirm the paleographical dating but to determine the community from whose library they had come. Furthermore, it seemed not improbable that there might be more scrolls, and certainly fragments, since some of the documents found were in a fragile condition with pieces missing from the edges. But the original discovery had taken place so long ago that the chances of finding the source relatively free from tampering were very slight. The Metropolitan had succeeded in smuggling the scrolls in his possession out of the country and had taken them to America. The Jordan Government, of course, demanded their immediate return, but by now the monetary values being attributed to them in the popular press were so astronomical that the Syrian Church leader was persuaded that the chances of his returning them were well worth sacrificing for the sake of the money he could expect to raise in their sale. The one bright spot in the whole miserable affair at this stage was that he had agreed with Trever and the American Schools to allow them to photograph and publish the scrolls immediately, while their sale was being negotiated. The Americans had told him that if they were published quickly, their value would be enhanced. In fact, it momentarily declined, since once they were readily available in printed form, the need for the originals became less urgent. The American scholars did, in fact, publish them, extraordinarily well and quickly, putting the scholarly world greatly in their debt.

Back in Jordan, Harding had gone immediately to the Palestine Archaeological Museum in Jerusalem. In his capacity as Acting Curator, he instructed Joseph Saad, the new Secretary, to spare no effort in discovering the whereabouts of the fabulous cave and any other information he could about the find and the personalities involved. Saad’s first call was to the American School, where Dr. O. R. Sellers, that year’s Director, immediately offered all the help in his power. Together they went to St. Mark’s Monastery, despite the extremely dangerous nature of the journey through the Old City, where Jewish shells and sniping were