A scroll with an ancient horoscope found in the Judean Desert: a trace of a mysterious sect

Intriguing discovery sheds light on ancient practices of astrology and mysticism

One of the most interesting and mysterious scrolls discovered in the Judean Desert is a scroll called “Horoscope”. This scroll sheds light on a discovery that has intrigued historians and archaeologists alike.

Photo: ru.wikipedia.org

The artifact offers a unique insight into the beliefs of a secret sect that flourished thousands of years ago, reports Arkeonews.

This ancient text reveals a worldview in which a person's birth date not only indicates their zodiac sign, but also determines his physical characteristics and the balance of light and darkness in his soul.

This unique composition was written in Hebrew backwards — from left to right — and contains characters in Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew, as well as a cipher.

“Judging by the style of writing, this text was intended only for those who had to know how to read it,” says Dr. Oren Ableman, a scroll researcher in the Judean Desert Scrolls Division of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “Such texts were apparently secret, understandable only to the leadership of the scroll sect.”

The scroll presents an intriguing theory that a person's physical qualities are determined by the degree of light or darkness in his soul. Each date in the calendar is associated with a certain amount of light or darkness, and therefore with the amount of good or evil, light or darkness in the soul of a person born on that day.

The Horoscope Scroll also hints at a strict process initiations for new members of the community who identified themselves as “children of the light,” Arkeonews emphasizes.

“It appears to have been a kind of “horoscope” guide, using a person’s date of birth to determine their personality and physical characteristics . New members had to prove their fitness to join the ranks of the righteous. This essentially says that a person can believe in the beliefs and practices of a cult, but still be rejected because they were born on the wrong day or have the wrong head shape,” says Dr. Ableman.

The discovery of the scroll has reignited interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ancient sects of the Judean Desert, serving as a reminder of humanity's enduring quest for knowledge and the mystical.