Museum Of The Bible Says 5 Of Its Most Famed Artifacts Are Fake

The Museum of the Bible said Monday that five of its 16 famous Dead Sea Scrolls fragments are fakes.

A team of German experts analyzed the privately funded Washington, D.C., museum's fragments and found they had "characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin." The fragments will no longer be displayed at the museum.

"Though we had hoped the testing would render different results, this is an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of verifying the authenticity of rare biblical artifacts, the elaborate testing process undertaken and our commitment to transparency," said Jeffrey Kloha, chief curatorial officer for the museum, said in a news release.