In 1954, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in human history was advertised for sale in the classified section of The Wall Street Journal.

Buried among ordinary newspaper listings was a tiny ad that read:

“Biblical manuscripts dating back to at least 200 B.C. are for sale.”

The manuscripts were part of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, the ancient scrolls discovered in caves near the Dead Sea beginning in 1947.

The scrolls included some of the oldest known biblical texts ever found, hidden in desert caves for nearly two thousand years.

The seller was Mar Samuel, a Syrian Orthodox archbishop who had acquired several of the scrolls during the turbulent years after their discovery.

The buyer was an equally remarkable figure: Yigael Yadin, an archaeologist, former general, and son of one of Israel’s leading scholars.

Because of political tensions in the Middle East, the purchase reportedly involved secrecy, intermediaries, and careful negotiations.

The four scrolls were ultimately purchased for about $250,000, worth several million dollars today.

They are now preserved at the Israel Museum.