historical perspectives: from the hasmoneans to bar kokhba in light ...

168 KAHILA BAR-GAL ET AL.
Sample Cytochrome b
C. C.
hircus ibex
DSS Fragment 1 +
DSS Fragment 2 +
Temple Scroll 11QT1
Temple ScroU 11QT2 +
Temple ScroU 11QT3 +
Temple ScroU 11QT5 +
Temple ScroU HQT5a +
Temple Scroll 11QT7 +
Temple Scroll 11QT9 +
Temple Scroll Stitch +
4Q259 810 Sample 24 +
DSS 3-14 Cave 3
DSS 3-15 Cave 3 ? ?
not definite
DSS 17 Cave 4
Total 8 2
D-loop
C. C.
hircus ibex
+
+
+
+
+
+
? ?
not definite
+
6 1
Table 1: Identification of Qumran parchments using DNA analysis
Species Identification
Ibex (C. ibex nubiana)
Ibex (C. ibex nubiana)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
Domestic goat (C. hircus)
or Ibex (C. ibex nubiana)
Ibex (C. ibex nubiana)
In order to identify individuals and to determine the degree of
relatedness of the animals used to produce the parchment in the
Temple Scroll, the D-loop sequence was obtained from five of the samples.
The sequences derived from these five fragments were domestic
goat but were not identical. The sequences showed great similarity
which supports the idea that the animals from which the parchments
were made came from the same herd. Two samples were derived
from the same sheet. One sample was from the main sheet and the
other a fragment that had been matched due to morphology and
text. These two fragments had an identical sequence, proving that
the earlier matching was correct (Figure 1).
In addition to the Temple Scroll another four blank fragments were
sampled. Their sequences indicate that sample DSS 17 (Cave 4) is
from ibex, whereas samples DSS3-14 and DSS3-15 (Cave 3) and
4Q259 810 were from domestic goat, like the Temple Scroll samples,
and very similar to modern domestic goats (Table 1).