LanguageHebrew
Earliest Date~150 BC (c. 150 – 100 BC)
Current LocationCambridge University Library, Cambridge
Found LocationFaiyum, Egypt
Scribal Context & DetailsPurchased in Egypt in 1902, the Nash Papyrus was the oldest known Hebrew manuscript fragment before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It consists of a single sheet containing the Ten Commandments followed by the 'Shema Yisrael' prayer, suggesting it was used as a personal liturgical or instructional document. This ancient artifact served as a crucial paleographic benchmark that later helped scholars confirm the great antiquity of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
