In 1979, archaeologist Gabriel Barkay discovered two small silver scrolls in a burial cave at Ketef Hinnom, overlooking the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem. When carefully unrolled and deciphered, the scrolls were found to contain a version of the Priestly Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26: 'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.'
The scrolls date to approximately 600 BC — the late seventh or early sixth century, before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This makes them the oldest surviving text of any portion of the Hebrew Bible, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by approximately 400 years.
The scrolls were likely worn as amulets, suggesting that these biblical words were not only known but personally treasured and carried as a source of blessing and protection. This practice reflects the instruction in Deuteronomy to bind God's words as a sign.
The significance for biblical studies is substantial. The scrolls demonstrate that the text of the Torah existed in a form recognizable to us today in the pre-exilic period, undermining theories that the Pentateuch was composed entirely during or after the Babylonian exile.