World's oldest Lamentation Scroll displayed for Tisha B'Av 26 Jul 2015
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World's oldest Lamentation Scroll displayed for Tisha B'Av

  • 7/26/2015
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    For the first time, fragments from the world's oldest discovered Lamentation Scroll were displayed in the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. The book is recited annually on the Ninth day of Av to commemorate the destruction of the Temples.
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    Prime Minister Netanyahu views the ancient scroll Prime Minister Netanyahu views the ancient scroll Copyright: GPO/Kobi Gideon
     
     
    For the first time in Israel, fragments from the world's oldest discovered Lamentation Scroll were displayed in the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem exhibition, "By the Rivers of Babylon".

    Discovered in Qumran and dated to 30 BCE - 70 CE, the public display of this rare scroll was made possible with the cooperation and assistance of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Due to the extreme sensitivity and fragility of the scroll fragments, they were on display for four days only, through Sunday, July 26, 2015, and then returned to their special storage conditions with the IAA.

    The Book of Lamentations, believed to have been written by the Prophet Jeremiah, paints a vivid and deeply stirring account of the destruction of Jerusalem and subsequent lamentation of the Judean people. The book is recited by Jews annually on the Ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av to commemorate the destruction of the first and second Temples.

    On Sunday evening (26 July 2015), in his Jerusalem office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Israel Antiquities Authority personnel who showed him the 2,000-year-old Book of Lamentations scroll that was found in the Qumran caves, that was recently put on display for the first time at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.
     
    Prime Minister Netanyahu: "This is an important and moving find. It is very significant that that this scroll has been brought to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, our united capital, on the Fast of the Ninth of Av."