The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (which were found some years ago in a series of small caves overlooking the Dead Sea in the Holy Land) remains one of the most important archeological events in recent history.

Scholars have concluded that most of the scrolls date from a century or so before Christ, and they include portions of almost all of the books of the Old Testament. One of the most important scrolls contains the complete book of Isaiah (one of the longest books in the Old Testament); others contain major parts of the Psalms. Only small fragments have survived from some of the other books, however. Why the scrolls were hidden away isn’t known, but their owners probably feared that they were about to be destroyed by an invading enemy.

No, the Dead Sea Scrolls do not contradict the Bible; in fact, the opposite is the case. Remember: Printing had not been invented in those days. Books therefore had to be laboriously copied by hand, and special precautions had to be taken to prevent errors from creeping in. The Dead Sea Scrolls vividly illustrate that those precautions were successful, so you can trust that the Bible you hold in your hand today is accurate.

Throughout the centuries, tyrants and fanatics have done their best to destroy the Bible — but without success. Don’t ever take your Bible for granted, but treasure it and read it and make its truth part of your life every day. Remember Jesus’ promise: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33).