Ketef Hinnom Scrolls

The Ketef Hinnom Scrolls are two small silver amulets discovered in 1979 near Jerusalem, dating to the late 7th or early 6th century before the common count, during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah.

Written in ancient Hebrew script, they contain versions of the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) found in Numbers 6:24–26, invoking YHWH's protection and blessing. They represent the oldest surviving texts closely corresponding to passages of the Hebrew Bible, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by centuries.

Their discovery demonstrates that religious traditions still practiced in Judaism today were already present in ancient Judah before the Babylonian exile.