Bible Fact · Numbers 6:24 — 'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.'
The Ketef Hinnom Scrolls
The Fact
In 1979, archaeologist Gabriel Barkay excavated burial caves at Ketef Hinnom in Jerusalem and discovered two tiny rolled silver amulets among the remains. When carefully unrolled, the delicate scrolls — just inches long — were found to contain text from Numbers 6:24–26, the Aaronic Blessing: 'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.' Dating to around 600 BC, these are the oldest known biblical texts, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years. They were worn as jewelry or carried as protective charms. The discovery proved that the Priestly Blessing was written down before the Babylonian exile, countering theories that much of the Pentateuch was composed after the exile. The scrolls are now in the Israel Museum.
Context
The amulets were buried with their owner, likely worn during life as a blessing charm. Their discovery pushes written biblical text back to before the Babylonian exile.
Significance
The Ketef Hinnom scrolls are the oldest known Bible text, demonstrating that key passages of the Torah were written centuries earlier than some critics claimed.
Reflection
The Aaronic Blessing has been spoken over God's people for 3,600 years. How does receiving that ancient blessing — 'the LORD bless you and keep you' — speak to your heart today?