# Many manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a…

> Most likely: Many manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a century, and the chronology needs…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/answers/ANS0D484PJT091H/many-manuscripts-are-older-than-the-palaeographic-chronology  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Dead Sea Scrolls: dating, scribes and provenance](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating)[Is the traditional palaeographic chronology of the scrolls broadly right, or are many manuscripts substantially older?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/questions/QST0D484NBR24P2/is-the-traditional-palaeographic-chronology-of-the-scrolls)Answer

Answer · Dead Sea Scrolls: dating, scribes and provenance

# Many manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a…

Many manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a century, and the chronology needs rebuilding.

**Most likely** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Most likely** Its tests partly supported it: three pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Newly radiocarbon-dated manuscripts, cleaned for castor oil, fall earlier than their palaeographic dates more often than later.
- Blind palaeographic dates show a systematic late bias against radiocarbon.

## What would rule it out

- A large new radiocarbon series with modern cleaning centres on the palaeographic dates with no early skew.

## Evidence 3 for · none against

[4Q114 (Daniel) has a 2-sigma range of 230 to 160 BC.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/evidence/EVD0D484Q2E0JSB/4q114-daniel-has-a-2-sigma-range-of-230-to-160-bc)

Supported

FOR

[Castor oil left by 1950s conservation can make earlier radiocarbon dates too young.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/evidence/EVD0D484QA8030S/castor-oil-left-by-1950s-conservation-can-make-earlier)

Supported

FOR

[The 2025 radiocarbon ranges and Enoch predictions are often older than traditional palaeographic estimates.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/evidence/EVD0D484PTM2YFF/the-2025-radiocarbon-ranges-and-enoch-predictions-are-often)

Supported

FOR

## The questions it answers

[Is the traditional palaeographic chronology of the scrolls broadly right, or are many manuscripts substantially older?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/dead-sea-scrolls-dating/questions/QST0D484NBR24P2/is-the-traditional-palaeographic-chronology-of-the-scrolls)

Most likelyMany manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a…

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Many manuscripts are older than the palaeographic chronology says, often by decades and sometimes by a… [Answer ANS0D484PJT091H]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D484PJT091H
```

Key

**ANS** 0D484PJT091H

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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