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A sample described as " masse de fer " (i.e. 'mass of iron') was excavated in Qumran by Roland de Vaux. This chapter describes the situation of the find and reports the analytical results, XRD, SEM-EDX and the determination of maximum firing temperature. The sample was excavated at locus 104 in Qumran by Roland Guerin de Vaux O.P. in 1955 and assigned the sample name KhQ-2114. Roland de Vaux labeled the sample of " masse de fer " KhQ-2114. It was designated sample number QUM-390 by Jan Gunneweg at Hebrew University. The so-called ' masse de fer ' sample is neither iron nor an umbra colored pigment consisting of burnt bentonite. Its major crystalline component is quartz. Keywords: KhQ-2114; masse de fer ; Qumran; Roland de Vaux

A unique sample of ink from an inkwell in the Schoyen Collection allegedly found at Qumran has been subjected to analyses by several analytical techniques: GC-MS, proteomic analysis, PXRD, Raman, (ATR) FT-IR, LIBS, ICP-MS and MS. The results reveal to an unexpected level of detail how the ink was manufactured, which gives insight into, the industrial processes and craftsmanship that were practiced at the Qumran settlement during the Second Temple period (100 BCE-CE 70). The identified minerals and other organic and inorganic materials are sufficiently multiple and diverse that it is probable that this specific ink can be recognized if analyses. of inks are performed on manuscripts from Qumran and other locations in Israel and the Middle East. The present work exposes a distinct and unique possibility to shed light on early Jewish manuscript controversies, including their provenance. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.