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| Photo by: GPO |
In a joint initiative of the Israel State Archives and Israel Antiquities Authority, the Declaration of Independence was removed in a rare event from the facility where it is stored in a special environment meant to ensure its preservation. The Declaration of Independence – one of the country’s most important cultural assets, which proclaims the establishment of the State of Israel and defines its character – was photographed using innovative technology developed especially for the Dead Sea scrolls, one of the most ancient and important cultural assets of the people of Israel. The photography was done in order to recreate the original appearance of the Declaration of Independence and preserve it for future generations.
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| Photo by: GPO |
The scroll was photographed in the Lunder Dead Sea Scrolls Conservation Laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority, using an advanced multi-spectral photographic system that allows shooting different exposures at a number of wavelengths – from the visible region to the near infrared region of the spectrum. The advanced photography will provide information regarding the texture of the material from which the scroll is made, its ink and topography (surface).
The combination of exposures in the visible range will provide a high quality and exact color photograph identical to the Declaration of Independence, while exposures in the near infrared region will allow reading written characters appearing on the document which have faded over time. With this innovative system a precise and clear copy of the Declaration of Independence was created, as it was when originally signed, prior to the ravages of time that are now visible on it.
Besides the advanced documentation, the photography will facilitate assessing the current condition of the Declaration of Independence and will help mapping out the necessary measures for preserving the scroll for future generations.
