A recently unveiled exhibit at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, is showcasing what is believed to be the world’s oldest Jewish book.
The 12.7cm by 12.7cm book was unearthed in Afghanistan and is comprised of Sabbath morning prayers, poems that tie back to the Old Testament, and what is reportedly the oldest partial version of the Haggadah, a liturgy recited at the Seder during Passover, according to the museum.
The book, known as the Afghan Liturgical Quire, is believed to be some 1 300 years old and was discovered along what was once the Silk Road trading route. The discovery is part of the museum’s exhibit, Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book, and will remain on display until January.
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“The ALQ is one of the most cherished treasures in the museum’s collection, which we are honoured to steward and share with people of all faiths,” said Bobby Duke, interim chief curatorial officer for the museum, according to The Jerusalem Post. “It clarifies our understanding of the Bible’s journey along the Silk Roads and shines a light on the diverse religious, ethnic and cultural tapestry of Afghanistan throughout most of its history.”
A group of Christians, Jews, and Muslims worked in tandem to rescue the religious relic.
The museum’s associate curator of Hebrew manuscripts, Hershel Hepler, said the ALQ “joins this international ensemble of great Hebrew books, revered for their religious and cultural significance and the stories of their survival”.
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And the Afghan Jewish Foundation said in a statement of the discovery: “The ALQ manuscript is indeed a gift from God to all peoples of all faiths.”
The first discovery of the book’s existence goes back to 1997, when a man belonging to the Hazaras, a people group from the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, discovered it in a cave. They protected the book until 2001. Then, in 2013, the Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby and helped launch the Museum of the Bible, purchased it from an Israeli dealer. Unaware of its pedigree, the Greens donated the book to the museum in 2015.
It was first mislabeled as a book from “Egypt, circa 900 CE” before scholars ultimately recategorised it as a significant historical document traced back to Afghanistan.
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Surely the Dead Sea scrolls are older?
Yes, the Dead Sea Scrolls are older. But the Afghan Liturgical Quire is the oldest BOOK in Hebrew.