In this installment; "The Dead Sea Scrolls' Precursor," Ross and Jono explore the remarkable story of Moses Wilhelm Shapira and his acquisition of sixteen mysterious leather fragments. The episode links Shapira's find to the groundbreaking discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, providing new insights into the historical context of both finds. Initially, Shapira's claims about the origins of his scroll were met with skepticism by his contemporaries. However, with our current understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this episode revisits these doubts and proposes that Shapira's story may have been more credible than once thought. Discover how ancient leather scrolls can survive for thousands of years and why the idea of a Bedouin's extraordinary discovery is no longer considered far-fetched. This episode invites listeners to reevaluate past judgments and consider the possibilities - the case of the precursor to the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century - The Scroll BEFORE the Dead Sea Scrolls.