Nash Papyrus
What Was Discovered
A collection of four papyrus fragments comprising a single sheet — not part of a scroll — containing 24 lines of Hebrew text. The fragments preserve the Ten Commandments (combining elements from both the Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 versions) followed by the beginning of the Shema Yisrael prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). W. L. Nash, secretary of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, acquired the fragments in Egypt in 1902 and presented them to Cambridge University Library the following year (shelfmark MS Or.233). Stanley A. Cook first published the text in 1903, initially dating it to the 2nd century CE. William F. Albright dramatically re-dated it to ca. 150-100 BCE in his landmark 1937 Journal of Biblical Literature article, a dating later confirmed by comparison with Dead Sea Scroll paleography. Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, the Nash Papyrus was by far the oldest known Hebrew manuscript of any Biblical text, serving as the benchmark for Hebrew paleography for nearly half a century. The combination of the Decalogue and Shema suggests it may have been a liturgical text used in daily worship or a phylactery rather than a biblical scroll.
Why This Matters
Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nash Papyrus was the oldest known Hebrew manuscript of any biblical text and was the benchmark for Hebrew paleography for nearly half a century.
Acceptance Assessment
Universally Accepted
Dating revised from 2nd century CE (Cook, 1903) to ca. 150-100 BCE (Albright, 1937), later confirmed by comparison with Dead Sea Scroll paleography.
What Scholars Debate
The exact dating has been debated — Cook originally placed it in the 2nd century CE, while Albright redated it to ca. 150-100 BCE. The combination of Decalogue and Shema raises questions about whether this was a liturgical text or a phylactery.