A Message For Our Times From G–D Discovered in The Judaean "Muraba‘at Cave" . . .

These verses from Zechariah 8:16-17 were discovered in a cave 

where Jewish refugees hid almost 1900 years ago:

“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate, declares God.” 

Judaean Desert Dig Yields fragments of Biblical Scroll, Millennia-Old Child’s Skeleton, and World’s Oldest Basket

The verses, written on dozens of parchment fragments, were discovered in a complex and challenging archaeological operation undertaken starting in 2017 by the Israel Antiquities Authority on the cliffs of the Desert, to prevent the looting of ancient treasures.

The historic find comes 60 years after the last discovery of biblical scrolls in archaeological excavations. In addition to the scroll fragments, the operation uncovered extraordinary finds from various periods: a cache of rare coins from the time of Bar-Kokhva; a 6,000-year-old skeleton of a female child wrapped in cloth and mummified; and a large, complete basket dating back 10,500 years, likely the oldest in the world.

The national project of surveying the caves of the Judaean Desert and their excavation has been undertaken in desert caves and ravines since 2017 by the Israel Antiquities Authority in cooperation with officers of the Archaeology Department of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria and funded by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage. On Tuesday the project unveiled its results.

Ever since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered more than 70 years ago, the desert caves have been targeted by antiquities looters who risk life and limb in their pursuits, as well as damage the caves and destroy historical documents.

“This national initiative aims to rescue these rare and important heritage assets from the robbers’ clutches,” says Israel Antiquities Authority’s director Israel Hasson, who launched the national operation.

 “The newly discovered scroll fragments are a wake-up call to the state. Resources must be allocated for the completion of this historically important operation. We must ensure that we recover all the material that has not yet been discovered in the caves before the robbers do. Some things are beyond value.”

Hasson adds, “The desert team showed exceptional courage, dedication and devotion to purpose, rappelling down to caves located between heaven and earth, digging and sifting through them, enduring thick and suffocating dust, and returning with gifts of immeasurable worth for mankind.”

CEO of the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage Avi Cohen says 

“the scroll fragments containing biblical texts, the coins and the additional finds from the Second Temple Period that were found in this unique project directly attest to the Jewish heritage of the region and the inseparable bond between the Jewish cultural activities and our place in this land. It is very exciting to see these finds and expose them to the public, finds which shed great light on our history. These finds are not just important to our own cultural heritage but to that of the entire world. Without the consistent and coordinated action of the various government offices, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Civil Administration, these special assets would not be made accessible to the public, rather would remain in the possession of antiquities looters. The ministry will continue to be part of the project, to complete the mapping of the caves that contain similar finds. The continued project includes the combination of extraordinary professionals and advanced technologies, and we are proud of this unique cooperation, which we applaud”.

The fragments of the Greek scroll of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets discovered in the operation were written, uniquely, by two different scribes. The conservation and study of the fragments, conducted by Tanya Bitler, Dr. Oren Ableman, and Beatriz Riestra of the Dead Sea Scrolls Unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority, has allowed for the reconstruction of 11 lines of text, partially preserving the Greek translation of Zechariah 8:16-17. 

Also identified, on another fragment, are verses from Nahum 1:5-6, 

“The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt. The earth heaves before Him, The world and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, And rocks are shattered because of Him.” […] 

See full article and more photos at https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/judaean-desert-dig-yields-fragments-of-biblical-scroll-millennia-old-childs-skeleton-and-worlds-oldest-basket/2021/03/16/