Abstract
Many important historical events have occured in ancient Israel. A huge amount of material signs of civilization has been excavated and studied and the bio- as well as material culture has shed light on how the ancients lived, what they did to stay alive, and what were the reasons they became ill and died. One of the most important gifts that has come to us just by an accidental find are the Dead Sea Scrolls that are the backbone for exploring the oral tradition between the spiritual writings of 2000 years ago and what is known today as the "Bible". The Dead Sea Scrolls are the focus of the Qumran Project and the scientific research has started to illuminate the background of these manuscripts. This volume summarises the presentations given at a meeting held at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (Israel) in 2005. The Qumran Project is part of COST Action G8, entitled "Non-destructive analysis and testing of museum objects". G8 represents an European network fostering interdisciplinary cooperation to improve the preservation and conservation of our cultural heritage by increasing the information on museum objects through non-destructive analysis and testing. Action G8 and those proceedings have been supported by COST, an intergovernmental European framework that allows the coordination of nationally funded research at a pan-European level (see: www.cost.esf.org).