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Israel Museum deciphers oldest biblical inscriptions Two silver scrolls from the sev enth century BCE have recently been deciphered in Jerusalem at the Israel Museum. The silver plaques bear the oldest biblical inscriptions ever found and pre date the renowned Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years. The amulets were among a trea sure trove discovered in 1979 by archaeologist Gabriel Barkai in a First Temple period family tomb below the Scottish Church in the Hinnom Valley. Nearly 1,000 ar chaeological objects were discov ered on this sight, including per sonal possessions of the deceased, pottery and glass vessels and a rich variety of jewelry. The scrolls had been tightly rolled and for two months experts were unable to open the fragile silver objects. Archaeologists specializing in the restoration of ancient finds ultimately succeeded in unravelling the silver cylinders. With the assist ance of Ada Yardeni, an expert in First Century period script, Barkai was able to_ discern the Tetra Grammaton, the Hebrew name for the Diety. Fragments of the priest ly benediction from the book of Numbers were deciphered on both objects and are almost identical to the text in use today. One scroll appeared to be 3.8 inches in height, the second 1.5 inches. Further examination led scholars to conclude that in all like lihood each scroll originally con tained 19 lines. The amulets are comprised of 99 percent silver mixed with one percent copper. There was a small aperture in the center ■ . IN THE BEGINNING it started with a glimmer of light, A spark of interest- An interest in... 'Making New Friends •Leadership Training •Athletics •Judaism •Social Awareness •Community involvement •Fun And then came... B'nai B’rith Youth Organization Eighth graders, now is the time to join! For information, call 876-0343 Silver amulets at left compared to size of quarter. At right is artist's rendering of the smaller amulet that made the translation possible. through which a string could be threaded and worn around the neck. Barkai speculates that these may have been the forerunner of teffilin—phylacteries—used today during morning prayers. These are the only objects of this kind from the First Temple period ever found in archaeological excavations. The excavation of the nine bur ial caves in the Valley of Hinnom indicated that the caves were in continuous use with brief lapses for the entombment of the dead from the First Temple period through the Roman period. Indeed they reflect the lifestyle of a wealthy Jerusalem family and throw new light on life in Jerusalem after the destruction of the city and the exile of most of its population to Baby lonia. The amulets are on display at the Israel Museum and will be open to the public until November. the Classic Collection SPRING & SUMMER CLEARANCE 30% o 60% to OFF 220 Sandy Springs Circle Springs Festival Atlanta, Ga. 30328 (404) 256-4847 Mon.-Sat. 10-6 Patronize our Advertisers they help bring you The Southern Israelite r LET THE NORTHLAKE HILTON BE YOUR BACKYARD POOL! This summer, don't hassle your neighbors to swim in their pool; join the Northlake Hilton's Swim Club and enjoy an Olympic-sized pool, patio services, the works. Member ship is limited, so don't delay. Call today: 938-1026 4156 LaVista Road at 1-285 14 EMPIRE HOST TURKEY FATTIES f> TURKEY NUGGETS Take top quality, low fat white meat- make into nugget & patty shapes... coat it with a flavorful batter and breading mixture... and you've got delicious, fun-to-eat products the whole family will love... EMPIRE KOSHER TURKEY FATTIES t> NUGGETS L & S Kosher Foods, Inc (404) 634-6826 ’The Most Trusted Name in Kosher Poultry and Foods.* 1 (800) EMPIRE-4 — J PAGE 7 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 18, 1986