In 1979, archaeologists uncovered two tiny rolled silver scrolls in a tomb from the First Temple period at Ketef Hinnom, just outside Jerusalem’s Old City. Dating to around 600 B.C., these are the oldest known surviving texts of a Bible passage.
Written in Paleo-Hebrew script, each scroll contains quotations that parallel with astonishing accuracy Numbers 6:24-26, the priestly blessing, which reads in the NKJV:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
These inscriptions predate the Dead Sea Scrolls by centuries, confirming that this text was already in use in Israel before the Babylonian exile. They provide strong archaeological evidence for the early transmission and preservation of the text of the Bible.
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