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Original Dead Sea Scrolls Fragment

The Lanier Theological Library has obtained its own original fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls*, not a facsimile.

This fragment contains some of the Hebrew words from Amos 7:17 – 8:1. We have placed this treasure in a display case which you can view, but you cannot photograph. It will be covered when not being viewed, but you can remove the cover and then replace it when you are ready to walk away.

 

Picture of Amos Scroll in Color

Picture of Amos Scroll in Black and White

The text below shows what is missing in brackets.

Line 1: Your wife [will become a prostitute] in the city, [and your sons and yo]ur [daughters] will fall by the swor[d], and [your] la[nd with a line]

Line 2: will be measured. You will d[i]e in an unclean land and Isra[el will certainly go into exile]

Line 3: [away from its land. Thus] Yhwh showed me: [a ba]sk[et of summer fruit. And he said]

*The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of nearly one thousand texts discovered at Khirbet Qumran over several years beginning in 1947. They were found in 11 caves near the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name. The texts are of great historical, religious, and linguistic significance because they include the earliest known surviving manuscripts of works included in the Hebrew Bible canon, along with extra-biblical manuscripts which preserve evidence of the diversity of religious thought in late Second Temple Judaism. For more information about the Dead Sea Scrolls and to see a digital library of most of the scrolls, click here.

All content ©2020, Lanier Theological Library. All rights reserved. Photo credits to Laurel Wilson, David Capes, Joshua Siefert, Rebekah Fleming