Israel’s Antiquities Authority has turned down an offer by a major American philanthropic foundation to provide up to $100,000 to publish a book of photographs of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls.

In a letter to the foundation, General Amir Drori, director of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, stated:

“We are of the opinion that a rushed publication, precluding the participation and intervention of the scholars who meticulously pieced together these manuscripts, would seriously infringe their rights, while taking advantage of their scholarship.

“Moreover, a publication lacking a minimal commentary would be a venture which, although satisfying the appetites of many justifiably curious scholars, would be misleading in many other respects.

“We regard this …