X-ray reveals amazing find at biblical site, possibly linked to one verse.

Oldest Hebrew Text Ever Discovered Found in Israel

By Richard Moorhead | May 16, 2023 at 4:10am

Academics have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Hebrew text ever found on a site in modern-day Israel. The text has an apparent link to a scene described in the Old Testament, making it a significant discovery.

A team of scholars from Israel, the United States, Germany, and the Czech Republic are credited with the find, according to The Jerusalem Post. The findings were published in the academic journal Heritage Science.

The text is described as a “curse tablet” with an inscription that one might expect to find in some of the darker passages of the Old Testament. The tiny lead tablet, only 2 x 2 centimeters square and folded, was first recovered with other materials in a 1980s excavation at Mount Ebal, near the city of Nablus.

However, it remained unnoticed amid discarded material from the excavation until the material was reexamined by a new team in 2019, the Jewish News Syndicate reported.

The tablet is at least 200 years older than the previously oldest find in the Hebrew language, according to scholars. Mount Ebal is featured in the Old Testament, and the Israelite leader Joshua, who succeeded Moses, is described as building an altar to God at the site in Joshua 8:30 — 35.

The “curse tablet” might have been deposited in the Mount Elba altar, according to the Heritage Science paper. The tablet was folded, and the use of X-ray technology was necessary to read it. The paper states, “Once a religious functionary inscribed the text and sealed the tablet, the incantation became binding. It could not be erased since the tablet would crumble and the curse would disappear if opened. Neither humans nor supernatural beings could cancel or negate an occult message since they could not see it. However, this has changed in recent decades as scientists have gained the ability to see the interior of lead tablets using X-ray computed tomography and advanced data processing.”

Key Takeaways:

• The oldest Hebrew text ever discovered has been found in Israel.
• The text has an apparent link to a scene described in the Old Testament.
• The tiny lead tablet was first recovered with other materials in a 1980s excavation at Mount Ebal.
• The “curse tablet” might have been deposited in the Mount Elba altar.
• The tablet is at least 200 years older than the previously oldest find in the Hebrew language.

This discovery is significant as it provides evidence of Hebrew writing in Israel earlier than previously established, as well as mention of two names of the Hebrew God, all from the site where the Bible said Joshua built an altar. This is a remarkable find that sheds new light on the history of the Hebrew language and its use in ancient Israel.