Updated: Feb 6
Ever wondered how old Hebrew is ?
well - One of the earliest records of written Hebrew dates from between 1200BC and 587BC !
It consists 20 of the books included in the Bible. From that time and up to 70 A.D, There was a large literary output which included the writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls (מְגִלּוֹת יָם הַמֶּלַח - megilot yam ha'melakh)
The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven caves near the site of Qumran along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea , between the years 1947 and 1956. The area is located 13 miles east of Jerusalem and is 1300 feet below sea level.
The Scrolls are for the most part, written in Hebrew, but there are many written in Aramaic. which was the common language for the Jews of the land at that time.
The Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times.
So at your next visit in Israel, go to the Dead Sea - ים המלח - yam ha'melakh :)