‘World’s oldest Hebrew book’ unveiled at DC exhibit

According to the museum, the book includes oldest extant version of the Haggadah, the Jewish book read during the Passover Seder.

By JNS

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday unveiled what it says is the oldest Hebrew book ever discovered, dating to the 8th century and originating with Jews living in a Buddhist civilization in modern-day Afghanistan.

Located just two blocks south of the National Mall, the institution titled the exhibit “Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book.” It runs through Jan. 12, 2025.

It will also make a stop in New York at the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, according to the Jewish Telegraph Agency.

The "world's earliest Jewish book" isn't quite what it sounds like, but it's an 8th-century Afghan manuscript with a fascinating story, now on display at @museumofBible
Report from @Jerusalem_Post https://t.co/x0Fotltr8L pic.twitter.com/oH6l77Zvta

— Mosaic (@mosaicmag) September 19, 2024

The ancient manuscript in book form, known as a codex, is 1,300 years old based on carbon dating, a relic of the Silk Road—an ancient trade route linking China with the West.

According to the museum, the book was created by Jews living as a minority among Buddhists who ruled the Bamiyan Valley in the central highlands of what is today Afghanistan.

The book measures five inches by five inches and includes Hebrew texts written by different sources—prayers, poems and, according to the museum, the oldest extant version of the Haggadah, the Jewish book read during the Passover Seder.

The museum’s claims are based on the work of a team of researchers, whose findings will be published by Dutch publisher Brill in April.

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