Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be centuries older than previously believed, according to new research that combines artificial intelligence and radiocarbon dating.

In a study published in Plos One, researchers examined 30 samples from Qumran and nearby sites, first removing castor oil used in the 1950s that may have skewed earlier dating results. Their findings suggest that many manuscripts are older than previously estimated, including one from the Book of Daniel, now thought to be contemporary with the time of its author.

The scrolls, discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956, contain a wide range of Jewish texts, including parts of the Hebrew Bible. They were traditionally dated to between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD.

“It’s like a time machine. So we can shake hands with these people from 2,000 years ago, and we can put them in time much better now,” Research lead Professor Mladen Popović from the University of Groningen said.

The team also trained an AI model named Enoch to analyse handwriting patterns. When tested, it produced results consistent with radiocarbon dating in 85 per cent of cases and often gave more precise date ranges.

“What we have created is a very robust tool that is empirically based – based on physics and on geometry,” Prof Popović continued.

“There are more than 1,000 Dead Sea scrolls manuscripts, so our study is a first but significant step,” he added.

The AI was also able to date a copy of the biblical book Ecclesiastes to the period in which its author is believed to have lived.

Prof Popović described the findings as “a significant step towards solving the age-old mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls’ timeline”, adding that the AI tool could be used to unlock other historical texts.

“Enoch has not only provided exciting new insights into these historic documents but has also created a revolutionary tool that can unlock secrets from other parts of history,” he said.