Are Leaden Books Found In Holy Land Authenic?

Even if they are, first century Christians were only flawed humans like the rest of us.

Here is an article from "Ancient Origins", a publication which bills itself as "News and articles relating to our ancient origins, archeology news, anthropology, ancient artifacts, sacred writings, and ancient places". It is not a religious publication. I do not validate or confirm anything they publish. I reprint, in part, their article below for two reasons. One, it is very interesting from a historic, human standpoint, and two, the University of Surrey is supposedly preparing an analysis of the these ancient, lead codices in the near future which will make them international news. So I am giving you a heads-up on their publication.  

I could not reprint any of the pictures of these lead books because they have them sequestered for their own private use.  But, you can see them by googling "Ancient Origins". I, personally, trust nothing of a religious nature, which I can see, though it may turn out true ... except the Bible. I don't care if they dug up the true cross Jesus died on or Noah's ark, my faith would not be strengthened, for biblical reasons. First, faith only comes from exposure to the Bible.   "Faith comes by hearing ... the word of God." Rom.10:17,   and   "Faith is the ... evidence of things not seen." Heb.11:1   and   "Hope that is seen is not hope...." Rom.8:24.   Nothing will improve our faith but God's word.  

So here is the article ... for your information only. 

Controversial Lead Codices With Earliest Written Account of Jesus Confirmed Authentic 

In 2007, Jennifer Solignac and David Elkington were shown images of a newly discovered set of books, of codices. They were surprising in one particular way: they were composed almost entirely of impure lead. Attempts to bring the lead codices into the public eye soon led to controversy and dismissals that they were fake – from people and institutions that had never even analyzed them. 

However, patient analysis and investigation have revealed the fact that the lead codices  are both authentic and ancient. 

Visiting the Homeland of the Lead Codices 

We had been shown a number of strange looking books or codices – a series of lead plates bound together by lead wire -  seventy in all and had managed to take a lot of detailed, high definition images. Now we had to discover the valley where the codices came from. It was located in northern Jordan. During a number of visits there in 2009 and 2011 we discovered much: an intact first century burial chamber, an olive press and all the signs of very long-term habitation. There were caves everywhere, furthermore, it was known that the early Christians had been here – there was still an intact Christian monastic cell high up in the cliff-face. Set of 70 Metal Tablets May Have the Earliest Written Account and Depiction of Jesus. 

What we were looking at were very early books. The discovery was soon to be described as ‘more important than the Dead Sea Scrolls ’ by the Director of Antiquities in Amman, Jordan – and here we were in Northern Jordan, in pursuit of documents that could very well change everything we know of the origins of Christianity. 

The documents first came to light in 2007 when we were first asked to provide an initial assessment. At first glance they looked unremarkable - odd leather books that looked quite beaten up and, frankly, such things are to be seen on the open market. Ever since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts in 1945 all manner of codices have flooded the market, most of them forgeries. 

However, it was when we were informed that they were made entirely of lead rather than leather that we realized that we were looking at something unique. This was soon confirmed by an enquiry to the Palestine Exploration Fund in London: on the theme of lead codices we could find nothing. 

Initial analysis at several prominent laboratories confirmed the Roman provenance of the lead. The job was now to discover whether it was reused Roman lead – reused by cunning forgers on the hunt for willing but gullible buyers and considerable riches. 

Ten years and fifteen separate tests later we knew these things were for real. But by this time, a campaign to suppress them had already begun. Dissonant voices had already said that the metal might be old but it had been re-beaten into these codices. 

It was Prof. Roger Webb of the University of Surrey’s Ion Beam Centre, working with Matthew Hood, an independent analyst, who was able finally to entirely refute this supposition. Not only was the metal old, it also demonstrated all the signs of great antiquity. The codices are authentic. 

Corrosion around binding holes and on wire but wear indications on binding holes and wires suggest significant page turning has occurred. 

Corrosion around binding holes and on wire but wear indications on binding holes and wires suggest significant page turning has occurred.  (© David Elkington) 

Looking for Signs of Radiation and Corrosion 

The first observation was a simple one: if there was no active radiation coming from the metal then it was not a product of the modern era. This is because in 1945 the first of the Atom Bombs were exploded in the deserts of New Mexico. This event sent radioactive polonium into the sky – and, from that day on, any metal fabricated in forges across the globe, contains radioactive polonium. The lack of it in the codices was one of many critical factors. 

The other is the state of the corrosion on the surface of the codices. 

Modern lead is not only very pure but also very malleable to the touch; it is like plasticine when beaten out in sheets. The lead of the codices is highly impure but, significantly, it is fragile and in some cases is easily fractured. Quite simply, no one had ever seen or handled lead like it – a common observation of those who have come into contact with it. Under the microscope it exhibits all of the qualities of great age, with crystalline impurities leeching out of the metal, leaving holes in their wake – a process that takes upwards of 1800 year

The work of the metallurgists is done. We now had to find out what they were – and the answer was dramatic: for at the heart of the discovery was something astonishing, something of profound sanctity, whether you are a believer or not. 

The collection of books that Jennifer and I had seen both in Jordan and in Israel were mostly small in size, not much larger than the average paperback. Some are even smaller, no bigger than the size of a human palm. All of them have illustrations of palm trees and menorahs on them as well as other symbols. The script upon them is mostly Paleo-Hebrew, a language that dates back a thousand years before Christ. Tellingly Aramaic is also to be seen – the lingua franca of Jesus’ time. Thus, we have a link between two separate periods. 

Intriguingly, one of the most striking aspects of the illustrations on the codices is the presence of Temple-type architecture, in one codex the interior of the temple can be seen: in contemporary terms this would have been seen as a forbidden image, as would the representation of the seven-branch menorah. In its day this was seen as God’s own furniture – and came from the holiest place in the Temple – the Holy of Holies.

Was this the reason the codices were sealed and hidden away in caves? Because they were holy objects depicting secrets forbidden to anyone but initiates to see? The Second Book of  Esdras (14:25-46) , an early Hebrew-Christian text , speaks of the making of ninety-four books - seventy of which are then hidden away in a cave. 

However, more dramatic than this is the mention of a small book in Revelation 5 . (This is often – and mistakenly – translated as a scroll, but the original Greek says biblioridion – meaning book not scroll.)  This book matches the description of the codex central to the discovery, a small book with seven seals down one side. On its front cover there is a portrait of a Nazarene-type figure. The description of this would appear to tally with that given in Revelation – which means only one thing: that it is an apocalypse, not the end of the world - but instead a book about a vision, about the secrets of the temple! 

According to the eminent scholars thus far involved in assessing the language and iconography on the codices, the very fact that these texts exist in book form points to them being early Christian documents – the oldest thus far discovered. The translations gained so far would seem to point to this. 

But the script seems nothing more than a random set of quotations from Proverbs and Psalms, Daniel  and other books of the Old Testament. What is it that they are trying to impart? 

Testimonia

Well, the answer to that is that if we read the rest of the quotations these passages begin to reveal much. In essence, these books are testimonia. They bear witness to the truth as it was delivered from the mouth of the Messiah. These books are telling us of the coming of a messiah, of a great King who will liberate his people – and free them from oppression: but they speak of liberation from this world, of liberation from the burden of having to pay tax to Caesar. They speak of a great event that the messiah has come to oversee, and they speak of much else.
These books were predicted. In the 1950’s, Dr. Hugh Schonfield was translating the Damascus Document , one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, when he noticed that it spoke of a metal book, a very holy object that the scroll suggested, had a portrait of its Holy One on its cover. This is a good description of the codex central to the discovery.... 

Christianity has its secrets. 

And if you have a secret, you have power over those who do not, perhaps that is why certain people and organizations are afraid of these sacred relics. It could also be the reason why a Medieval Pope Innocent III gave instruction for them to be tracked down – and destroyed. 

Only time will tell. 

There will be an announcement from the University of Surrey in the coming weeks on the latest ground-breaking data from analysis of the codices. 

Top Image: An authentic codex, left, as opposed to a modern forgery, right, which is crude by comparison and betrays all of the hallmarks of modern manufacture: not the uneven patina, which is obviously applied and not accrued by age. Source: (© David Elkington) 

By David & Jennifer Elkington 

Editorial Reviews

"They could prove to be immensely important, both to Christianity and Judaism."   FATHER JEROME MURPHY O'CONNOR, Former Head of the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem 

'This is a very exciting discovery of a large number of hitherto unknown documents from the 1st or 2nd century CE. The idiosyncratic Old Hebrew script in which the texts are written is hard to decipher, but preliminary indications suggest they contain ethical teaching derived in part from the Hebrew Bible.   Prof Emeritus John FA Sawyer, Honorary post, Durham University, Former President of the Society for Old Testament Study 

'I have been following the story of the lead codices with interest and look forward to the results of future research.' ?      Prof CTR Hayward of the University of Durham 


According to the Department of Antiquities, initial carbon tests to determine the authenticity of lead-sealed metal books billed as the greatest find in biblical archeology since the Dead Sea scrolls have been "encouraging". The tests, carried out at the Royal Scientific Society labs, indicate that the texts may date back to the early first century AD, at a time when Christians took refuge from persecution on the east bank of the Jordan River. Taylor Luck, Jordan Times 


We really believe that we have evidence from this analysis to prove that these materials are authentic.  Prof Ziad Saad, Former Direct General of the Department of Antiquities in Amman, told to The Jordan Times