TECHNOLOGY WATCH:

Diamond reveals hidden writings
By Liz Seward
Science reporter, York [BBC]

The hidden content in ancient works could be illuminated by a light source 10 billion times brighter than the Sun.

The technique employs Britain's new facility, the Diamond synchrotron, and could be used on works such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or musical scores by Bach.

Intense light beams will enable scientists to uncover the text in scrolls and books without having to open - and potentially damage - them.

The research was presented at the British Association science festival.

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Wish list

The National Archives has donated some 18th Century fire-damaged scrolls that have never been unrolled, due to their condition. But the team also has a wish-list of works that they plan to probe.

Professor Wess said: "There are some parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls which have not been unrolled."

[...]

This sounds cool, but as far as I know, there are no substantial Dead Sea Scroll fragments that remain unrolled, and Joe Zias, who once curated the Scrolls, says on the g-Megillot list that there aren't. Perhaps there are still unseparated clumps from things like the Temple Scroll or the Genesis Apocryphon? Does anyone out there know?

UPDATE: Peter Head remarks, "The Diamond Synchroton: No, not a new Robert Ludlum novel."