Ingathering of the exiles? Extremely rare First Temple-era papyrus repatriated

Times of Israel ^ | September 7, 2022 | Amanda Borschel-Dan

[SunkenCiv]

2,700-year-old inscribed papyrus, a letter to 'Ishmael' written in early Hebrew script, joins only two others from biblical times. But that's just the beginning of the story...

This 4-centimeter-high, 5-centimeter-wide (1.5 inch x 2 inches) fragment joins only two other known contemporary papyrus fragments inscribed with early Hebrew in the Land of Israel to date.

The treasure hunt ended earlier this year after the IAA’s Eitan Klein located the owner of the exceedingly rare papyrus in the fittingly nicknamed Treasure State.

The inscription is composed of four fragmented lines, the first of which begins with the intriguing command "To Ishmael, send…." and then stops. According to epigraphical analysis as well as carbon-dating of a small piece of the papyrus, it is from the late seventh or early sixth century BCE, the last days of the Kingdom of Judah...

It transpired that the fragment was either purchased by or given to the Montana resident's mother when she visited Israel in 1965 as part of a Christian mission from the United States. The mission participated in excavations around Qumran and met key people involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls, including Halil Iskander Kandu, a prominent scrolls dealer from Bethlehem, and Joseph Sa’ad, curator of the Rockefeller Museum.

[SunkenCiv]

The 'Ishmael Papyrus,' a rare document from the First Temple period.

Shai Halevi, Israel Antiquities Authority

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the link in FReepmail!

• Has the mystery of the Shapira Scroll finally been solved? Ancient manuscript dismissed as a fake since 1883 is actually [trunc] [3/11/2021]

[FroedrickVonFreepenstein]

"To Ishmael, send…." lawyers, guns and money…

[nwrep]

It seems to have more syllables and more lines than the translated short message “To Ishmael, send”. How could it say so little in 4 lines of script?

[nwrep]

Never mind. It’s got the rest of the lines translated as:

“It’s a simple letter with an order. He’s told, ‘Don’t send.’ What not to send? I don’t know. And ‘of no help’ is written later. What’s of no help?! We don’t know,” said Ahituv.“

[BenLurkin]

“Don’t send Bob. He was here last year and was of no help. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a real nice guy, but he doesn’t know which end of a hammer to use (if you know what I mean.)”

[SunkenCiv]

Sorted selections from the Epigraphy and Language keyword:

• Discovery of Biblical Scrolls Shows Importance of Greek Old Testament, Scholar Says [03/21/2021]
• Archaeologists Discover Traces of Early Christian Community in Egypt [03/20/2021]
• Israeli archaeologists discover biblical scroll fragments for the first time in 60 years [03/18/2021]
• AI Analysis Shows Two Scribes Wrote One of the Dead Sea Scrolls [04/23/2021]
• Dead Sea scroll discovery brings tantalizing prospect of more yet to be found [03/17/2021]
• In a Remarkable Find, Archaeologists Exploring the 'Cave of Horror' in Israel Have Discovered a New Dead Sea Scroll [03/16/2021]
• Bible scroll from Bar Kochba era discovered in Judean Desert [03/16/2021]
• Israeli archeologists discover new Dead Sea Scrolls for first time in 60 years [03/16/2021]
• Has the mystery of the Shapira Scroll finally been solved? Ancient manuscript dismissed as a fake since 1883 is actually [trunc] [03/10/2021]
• The Dead Sea Scrolls contain genetic clues to their origins [06/04/2020]
• Fake Dead Sea Scrolls Exposed: A new study sponsored by the Museum of the Bible reveals that the 16 fragments in their collection are fake [05/21/2020]
• Dead Sea Scroll fragments thought to be blank reveal text [05/19/2020]
• Egypt shock: Dead Sea Scroll scan suggests Noah's Ark 'was Great Pyramid of Giza' [03/19/2020]
• All 16 Dead Sea Scroll fragments at Museum of the Bible are forgeries [03/14/2020]
• Advanced Technology Shines Light on More Dead Sea Scrolls [08/28/2018]
• Egyptian Papyrus Reveals Israelite Psalms [Papyrus Amherst 63] [08/11/2018]
• Palestinian Authority Will Use Upcoming UNESCO Meeting to Claim Ownership of Dead Sea Scrolls Site [05/17/2018]
• Dead Sea Scrolls fragments contain writing invisible to naked eye [05/06/2018]
• The Dead Sea Scrolls in Denver: Two Dead Sea Scrolls on display for the first time ever [04/21/2018]
• 13-Year-Old Boy Finds Treasure Trove of 1,000-Year-Old Silver Coins [04/16/2018]
• Dead Sea Scrolls' Rare Account of Noah Exhibited for First Time [03/24/2018]
• The Copper Scroll Project: In Search of the Ark of the Covenant [03/12/2018]
• The Dead Sea Scrolls (Video) [03/11/2018]
• Dead Sea Scrolls deciphered: esoteric code reveals ancient priestly calendar [02/21/2018]
• Newly Deciphered Dead Sea Scroll Reveals 364-Day Calendar [02/12/2018]
• 12th Dead Sea Scrolls cave discovered in Israel [02/08/2017]
• New Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments Found in Judean Desert [12/23/2016]
• Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew: Ancient Israelites turned Egyptian hieroglyphics into letters? [12/05/2016]
• Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew [11/21/2016]
• Palestinians claim Dead Sea Scrolls as their own [11/12/2016]
• Scanning software deciphers ancient biblical scroll [10/03/2016]
• Researchers Reconstruct Early Version of Old Testament Text From Burned Scroll [09/27/2016]
• En-Gedi: Ancient scrolls 'virtually' deciphered to reveal earliest Old Testament scripture [09/21/2016]
• Scanning Software Deciphers Ancient Biblical Scroll [09/21/2016]
• 'Ancient Hebrew inscriptions' baffle Israeli archaeologists [08/08/2015]
• Challenging History: The Dead Sea Scrolls [02/12/2015]
• Newfound "Gospel of the Lots of Mary" discovered in ancient text [02/06/2015]
• 'Gospel of the Lots of Mary' found hidden inside 1,500-year-old book [02/05/2015]
• Archaeologists May Have Found the Oldest Copy of One of the Gospels-(A mummy's mask) [01/23/2015]
• Papyrus Found in Mummy Mask May Hold Oldest Known Gospel Text [01/23/2015]
• OLDEST KNOWN GOSPEL RETRIEVED FROM MUMMY MASK, RESEARCHERS CLAIM [01/21/2015]
• Mummy Mask May Reveal Oldest Known Gospel [01/19/2015]
• Antiquity thieves caught at Cave of Skulls searching for Dead Sea artefacts [12/09/2014]
• New Texts Found in Caves That Yielded Dead Sea Scrolls [03/03/2014]
• Nine new Qumran scrolls discovered [03/03/2014]
• New translation of Hebrew text reveals legend of Ark of the Covenant [01/09/2014]
• Fate of Ark of the Covenant Revealed in Hebrew Text [01/08/2014]
• Mysterious Hebrew stone depicts archangel Gabriel, called a 'Dead Sea Scroll in stone' [04/30/2013]
• Dead Sea Scrolls and Masada Scrolls Written by Same Scribe [11/16/2012]
• What's the Oldest Hebrew Inscription? [05/28/2012]
• Google makes 5 Dead Sea Scrolls searchable [09/27/2011]
• What's inside? Sealed jar discovered at Qumran -- site of Dead Sea Scrolls [12/11/2010]
• Dead Sea scrolls going digital on Internet [10/19/2010]
• The Dead Sea scrolls: Voice of reason [02/22/2010]
• Dead Sea Scroll dating now possible [01/20/2010]
• Jordan wants Dead Sea Scrolls back from Israel (They are just fine where they are) [01/14/2010]
• Archaeologists claim discovery of oldest Hebrew writing [01/07/2010]
• Jordan, PA Claim Dead Sea Scrolls [01/02/2010]
• Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? [12/19/2009]
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• Dead Sea Scrolls stir storm at ROM [04/13/2009]
• Scholar Shocker: Dead Sea Scrolls 'Authors' Never Existed [03/16/2009]
• Scholar: The Essenes, Dead Sea Scroll 'authors,' never existed [03/13/2009]
• Oldest Hebrew Text Discovered at King David's Border Fortress [10/31/2008]
• Archeologist finds 3,000-year old Hebrew text [10/30/2008]
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• Dead Sea Scrolls to Hit the Internet [08/27/2008]
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• More Observations on the Stone Dead Sea Scroll Text [07/16/2008]
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• DEAD SEA SCROLLS: THREAT TO CHRISTIANITY? [02/22/2007]
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• Toilet Evidence Links Dead Sea Scrolls To Sect (Essenes) [11/14/2006]
• Latrines of the Essenes? [11/14/2006]
• Analyzing Dead Sea Scrolls evolves from carbon to DNA [09/24/2006]
• Archaeologists Challenge Link Between Dead Sea Scrolls and Ancient Sect [08/15/2006]
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• Biblical Scroll Found in Desert [07/16/2005]
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• Oldest known copy of the Ten Commandments arrives in Alabama for display. [01/06/2005]
• High-tech review confirms pedigree of early Bible source [09/28/2004]
• Solving a Riddle Written in Silver [09/27/2004]
• Archaeologists Claim Essenes Never wrote Dead Sea Scrolls [07/30/2004]
• 'Silver Scrolls' Are Oldest OT Scripture, Archaeologist Says [02/28/2004]
• THE IMPACT OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS? [11/30/2002]
• Mystery of Dead Sea Scroll unravels [04/03/2002]
• Mystery Of Dead Sea Scrolls Unravels [03/31/2002]
• Last of Dead Sea Scrolls About Ready to Publish [11/16/2001]
• Dead Sea Scrolls Finally Published [11/16/2001]
• Vatican allows Scrolls to change to Bible [09/10/2001]

[SunkenCiv]

Presumably, that's the only complete phrase that can be read.

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMTKb-pgxGI/

[ComputerGuy]

That’s about as readable as one of my wife’s grocery lists.

[faithhopecharity]

that’s about as readable as Biden’s speeches

[Songcraft]

Was this fragment found in Melania's dresser?   (Just kidding!!!)

✡

[SunkenCiv]

$20, and she’ll never hear about that post from me. ;^)

[ComputerGuy]

You drive a hard bargain.

[SunkenCiv]

No worries, I was going to tip her off using an ancient piece of parchment that barely legible. :^)

[SunkenCiv]

Kinda mean to the Qumranians... ;^)

[SunkenCiv]

No way, because it isn’t classified top secret stuff! ;^)

[bert]

Ishmael...... send money

No mon, no fun, your son

To bad, so sad, your dad

[faithhopecharity]

Ha!
(Although, the famous qunronians didn’t get going until some time after the First Temple…they were primarily a reaction to the Second Temple …smiles )

[ComputerGuy]

Good. I mean, we go back a long time.