The Dead Sea Scrolls have been controversial ever since they were discovered between 1947 and 1956. One issue that has plagued researchers has been how to date them precisely using carbon dating.

Associate Professor and Archaeochemist Kaare Lund Rasmussen of the University of Southern Denmark and an international team of researchers have finally found a way to remove the castor oil that was spread on an unknown number of the scrolls and parchments.

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At the time, in the 1950s, castor oil was used to make the parchments more flexible and readable.

But it also made carbon dating of the material uncertain. Professor Lund Rasmussen says that at the end of the day it will be Israel that determines whether new carbon dating tests can be carried out after the castor oil is removed.