Twitter users lampoon Palestinian claim to Dead Sea Scrolls

Hundreds of social media users poked fun at the latest Palestinian claim to a piece of Jewish history.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

NOVEMBER 6, 2016 17:40

Social media apps Twitter and Facebook [Illustrative] (photo credit: REUTERS) — Social media apps Twitter and Facebook [Illustrative]

(photo credit: REUTERS)

The Twittersphere was alight with humor on Sunday after it was reported that the Palestinian Authority is attempting to lay claim to the Dead Sea Scrolls at the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Using the hashtag "#PalestinianClaims," hundreds of Twitter users posted pictures of famous historical figures, pieces of art and landmarks with a satirical description of its Palestinian roots. The hashtag quickly rose to the top of the trending list for Israel.

The scrolls are a large cache of mostly Hebrew writings from the Second Temple period and its immediate aftermath. They include many biblical texts and are believed to have been penned by members of a Jewish sect known as the Essenes.

Among the most popular tweets was that of pro-Israel Israeli Arab Yahya Mahamed, who posted a picture of the American landmark of Mount Rushmore and wrote "#PalestinianClaims the dead sea scrolls? Maybe next they'll claim Mount Rushmore as a Palestinian monument?"

#PalestinianClaims the dead sea scrolls? Maybe next they'll claim Mount Rushmore as a Palestinian monument? pic.twitter.com/iW0BluxcVq
— Yahya Mahamed (@3moYahya) November 6, 2016

Meanwhile, Kay Wilson, who survived a terror stabbing by Palestinians in 2010 outside Jerusalem, tweeted a picture of the Mona Lisa, jokingly describing it as "Very rare Palestinian art (20,000,000 BCE) discovered last week at site of Palestinian Dead Sea Scrolls."

Very rare Palestinian art (20,000,000 BCE) discovered last week at site of Palestinian Dead Sea Scrolls. #PalestinianClaims @StandWithUs pic.twitter.com/fgJDZ5Nxem
— (((Kay Wilson))) (@kishkushkay) November 6, 2016

Israel advocacy group StandWithUS posted a picture of the Great Wall of China with the caption "Palestinians claiming Dead Sea scrolls as Palestinian - what next? Famous Palestinian wall of China?"

Palestinians claiming Dead Sea scrolls as Palestinian - what next? Famous Palestinian wall of China? #PalestinianClaims pic.twitter.com/AZkGtYodfy
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) November 6, 2016

A user by the name of bevL posted a picture of William Shakespeare, calling him "a famous Palestinian writer"

Meet William al Sheik-Speare, a famous Palestinian writer #PalestinianClaims @kishkushkay pic.twitter.com/gscU5KaBfk
— BevL (dandiedinmont) (@dandiedinmont) November 6, 2016

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Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights lawyer and journalist, posted a picture of the Chicago Cubs baseball team logo and wrote Wow, after 108 years, the Palestinian Cubs just won the World Series! Amazing."

Wow, after 108 years, the Palestinian Cubs just won the World Series! Amazing. #PalestinianClaims pic.twitter.com/xs6qGu3AXa
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) November 6, 2016

Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen said that “the Dead Sea Scrolls are factual and weighty archeological evidence of the presence of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.”

When they were first discovered in Qumran, near the Dead Sea in 1947, the land was under British Control. As more parts of the scroll were uncovered, a process that continued until 1956, the land came under Jordanian control.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.