Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yitzhak Sapir <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>]

Hello all,

Walla News, apparently reporting an article from Yediot Ahronot,
reports that in the past year a small piece of scroll found at Nahal
Arugot, near Ein Gedi, was purchased for $3000 by Prof. Hanan
Eshel of Bar Ilan.  Originally, Prof. Eshel refused to appraise the
scroll when he was first asked to do so in August 2004, although
he did photograph it at this time.  When he came upon it again, it 
was near crumbling state, and he purchased it and turned it over 
to Amir Ganor of the Antiquities Authority, who are trying to
locate the thieves.  It consists of two pieces of deer-hide scroll,
about 35 square cms, containing portions of verses from Leviticus
23, dealing with the Feast of Tabernacles, and differing from the
MT only in that the scroll misses a single holam.  It is dated to
the Bar Kokhba revolt days.  Prof. Eshel is calling for searching 
again for more scrolls which may still lay hidden among the caves
in the area.

Hebrew language article: http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//747506
(no pictures of the scroll)

Yitzhak Sapir