Bologna Torah Scroll
What Was Discovered
The oldest complete Torah scroll known to survive, measuring approximately 36 meters (118 feet) long and 64 centimeters (25 inches) tall, written on sheepskin (gevil). Housed in the University of Bologna library since at least the 19th century, it was miscatalogued as a 17th-century manuscript by librarian Leonello Modona in 1889. In 2013, Professor Mauro Perani of the University of Bologna recognized through textual analysis that the scroll was far older. Two independent radiocarbon tests — at the University of Salento and the University of Illinois — confirmed a date range of 1155-1225 CE. The scroll contains the complete Five Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) and is considered kosher (ritually fit for synagogue use). Its discovery pushed back the date of the oldest known complete Torah scroll by several centuries, providing an important witness to the accuracy of scribal copying traditions in the Masoretic textual tradition.
Why This Matters
As the oldest known complete Torah scroll, it provides an important witness to the transmission of the Pentateuchal text and demonstrates the accuracy of scribal copying traditions across centuries.
Acceptance Assessment
Universally Accepted
The carbon-14 dating was conducted at the University of Salento's CEDAD radiocarbon laboratory. Results are accepted by the scholarly community.
What Scholars Debate
Minimal controversy. The scroll was misdated for over a century by Leonello Modona in 1889. Some discussion exists around whether its text differs from the standard Masoretic tradition.