The conservation and preservation of the Dead Sea Scrolls have concerned both scholars and conservators ever since their discovery. The removal of the scrolls from the caves in which they had been preserved for over 2,000 years interrupted the environmental stability that had ensured their preservation for so long.
The scrolls uncovered in the caves are made of either parchment or papyrus. Alongside the renowned large parchment scrolls, thousands of smaller fragments were found and subsequently arranged and encased within glass plates. Of over 1,200 plates, some 900 contain fragments of parchment and 300 contain fragments of papyrus.

From the time of their discovery by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947, until the establishment of the conservation laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority in 1991, the scrolls were heavily damaged by the ravages of time, as well as previous handling and treatment. The task of conservation and preservation of the scrolls continues to be an ongoing project due to their extreme brittleness and the need to make use of the most up-to-date conservation methods known worldwide.

Soon after their discovery, the scrolls were handled by such scholars as De Vaux, Cross, Milik, Starkey, Strugnell, Allegro and others, who studied them at the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. Their main interest was to form coherent texts from the thousands of fragments. Although professional advice regarding preservation techniques was scarce at the time, an effort was made to observe certain basic principles of conservation. Some assistance was obtained from museums in Europe, particularly the Vatican Library. The steps taken by the scholars included brushing the surface of the parchment with a very fine camelhair brush, treating dark stains with castor oil, and placing the fragments in a glass humidifier to facilitate their unrolling. Connecting fragments were joined with cellophane tape, which also served as a support on the reverse of the reconstructed manuscripts. Once the fragments were sorted and grouped together into different manuscripts, the museum's expert photographer, Najib Albina, photographed them using infrared and ultraviolet light, thus enabling the scholars to proceed with their work while abroad, and providing us with a valuable record of the condition of the scrolls and the script shortly after their discovery. The fragments were then encased within the glass plates, which were sealed with adhesive tape.

In 1962, H. J. Plenderleith of the British Museum, then director of the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), was invited to the Rockefeller Museum for consultation on the Ezekiel Scroll. His advice was relevant to all the parchment scrolls.

In 1963, in light of plans to mount an exhibition of the scrolls abroad, Valerie Foulkes, a conservator at the British Museum, came to Jerusalem to assist in selecting and preparing scrolls for the exhibition. In order to improve the condition of some of the scroll fragments, Foulkes removed the glass plates, as well as the cellophane tape and its residues, from these fragments. She re-joined the fragments with gummed silk strips or gold beater’s skin and soluble glue. Ms. Foulkes was the first to write a detailed report on the conservation requirements.

When the Six-Day War broke out in 1967, the scrolls were hidden within the Rockefeller Museum. After the war, the museum and all its holdings were transferred to the Government of the State of Israel. The Israel Department of Antiquities became custodian of all its collections, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. Once the scrolls were recovered from their hiding place, an inventory of over 1,200 glass plates containing scroll fragments was compiled. The staff of the Department of Antiquities and the curator of the Shrine of the Book reviewed the condition of the scrolls and their state of preservation. They concluded that it was necessary to reverse a combination of destructive factors that had adversely affected the scrolls. The cellophane tape used to join fragments and cover cracks had caused irreversible damage. The aging of the adhesives and the pressure of the glass plates had caused the edges of the parchments to gelatinize and the skins to darken, to the extent that some of the texts were no longer legible. An air-conditioned environment was established, and conservators from the laboratories of the Israel Museum began the lengthy process of removing the glass plates, as well as the cellophane tape and its residues from the fragments. Rice paper and perspex (plexiglass or lucite) glue provided extra support on the back of the fragments. For storage, fragments were laid on rice paper and placed between cardboard plates. For exhibition purposes, fragments were stretched between two layers of silk fabric and framed with perspex plates.

In 1991, the Israel Antiquities Authority (formerly the Israel Department of Antiquities) established a conservation laboratory. Esther Boyd-Alkalay, the leading Israeli expert in paper and parchment conservation, assisted in providing a general assessment of the state of preservation and the storage of the scrolls, and advised on their future conservation.

At first, the laboratory experimented with different procedures of preservation and conservation of ancient vellum. It became evident that the removal of the parchment from the glass plates and the acidic cardboard must be expedited. A detailed description of the condition of each fragment, no matter how tiny, was recorded, including photographs and sketches of each fragment. Each fragment was examined microscopically to determine its state of deterioration. An international team of experts sponsored by the Getty Conservation Institute came to Israel to help us decide upon the most appropriate and up-to-date conservation methods for the scrolls.

Another team of scientists, also from the Getty Conservation Institute, began to study the changes that the scrolls had undergone since their discovery, taking into consideration the original climatic conditions of the caves (relative humidity, temperature), and the causes of the physical, chemical and biological deterioration of the scrolls. Samples of leather, ink, salt crystals, molds and fungi were examined. The results confirmed that the ink was carbon-based, that the fungi on the scrolls were in a passive state and would remain so as long as the relative humidity did not exceed 60%, and that the scrolls should be stored in a climate-controlled storeroom at a temperature of 20º C (68º F) and a relative humidity of 50%.

The most time-consuming task was and continues to be the removal of the cellophane tape that was used to connect fragments in the 1950s. After temporary reinforcement of the damaged areas with Japanese tissue paper on the recto (front), the tape is loosened by a heated surgical scalpel from the verso (back). Tape residues and adhesive that have penetrated into the parchment are removed by organic solvents. This procedure, known as poulticing, is repeated until the surface is no longer sticky. Then the verso of the fragment is reinforced wherever necessary with Japanese tissue paper and the temporary reinforcement is removed from the recto of the parchment. This operation cannot be standardized; each of the thousands of fragments requires individual treatment.

The treated fragments are arranged on acid-free cardboard, attached with hinges made of Japanese tissue paper and stored in protective Solander boxes in the climate-controlled storeroom. The treated fragments are checked periodically.

For scrolls that are being prepared for exhibition, another housing system was devised. The fragments are sewn between two layers of Stabiltex (polyester net) stretched on acid-free cardboard mounts, and enclosed in a frame of polycarbonate plates.

So far, these reversible procedures have proved efficient. If more advanced methods are conceived in the future, it will be possible to alter the treatment without causing further damage.
At first, it seemed that the state of preservation of the papyrus fragments was better than that of the parchment, as the sticky mass of cellophane-tape adhesive had not penetrated the papyri. However, removing the cellophane tape from such fibrous material without causing damage proved to be problematic. In addition, many of the papyri bear text on both sides, and cellophane tape is sometimes glued over the script as well. We have attempted several methods, chemical as well as laser rays; the ideal one seems to be poulticing with Goretex.

When mounted for exhibition, the papyrus fragments are set on Japanese tissue paper cut along the outline of the fragments, and glued with tiny hinges, avoiding the text. These are then placed on acid-free cardboard mounts and enclosed in a frame of polycarbonate plates.

The task of preserving and conserving the Dead Sea Scrolls is extremely slow, painstaking and time-consuming. Unfortunately, the process of ageing cannot be halted. We are trying to slow it down with as little intervention as possible. Since the Dead Sea Scrolls are a universal cultural heritage, it is our duty to safeguard and preserve them for future generations.