2,000-years-old biblical parchment fragment found in Israel

Saturday 17th March 2021

2,000-year-old biblical parchment fragment found in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have discovered a fragment of Bible parchment in the Judean Desert.

On Tuesday March 16, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced in a statement the discovery of a dozen fragments of an almost 2,000-year-old Bible scroll for the first time in 60 years. A national archaeological operation described as "complex and difficult".

These manuscript pieces are Greek translations of the books of Zechariah and Nahum from the book of the Twelve Little Prophets. Only God's name is written in Hebrew in the text after The Times of Israel.

It was in a cave in the Nahal Herver Nature Reserve which is located about 80 meters below a cliff that the biblical fragments were discovered during a large national archaeological operation to combat the looting of heritage. An initiative set up to "save these rare and important heritage assets from the clutches of thieves," said IAA director Israel Hasson behind the operation.

“For years we have pursued the looters of antiquities." Said Amir Ganor, theft prevention manager for the IAA. “We finally decided to warn the thieves and try to reach the artifacts before they were removed from the ground and caves. He adds.

CBN News reports one of the identified passages from the Book of Zechariah chapter 8 verses 16 and 17 :

“This is what you must do : tell each one the truth to his neighbor ; judge in your doors according to the truth and with a view to peace ; let no man in his heart think evil against his neighbor, and love not a false oath, for these are all things that I hate, saith the Lord."

Archaeologists have also made other finds including coins dating from the time of the Bar Kokhba Jewish uprising, a perfectly preserved 10,500-year-old woven basket which is therefore the oldest complete basket in the world estimates the IAA, as well as the mummified skeleton of a 6,000-year-old child.

Source (Christian Info)