World's oldest Jewish text debuts exhibit at Museum of the Bible

The Museum of the Bible in Washington announced on Thursday that it was set to exhibit the world's oldest Jewish book on September 24, just before Rosh Hashana. 

The exhibit, Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book, showcases the book, which was discovered in Afghanistan and dates back roughly 1,300 years.

The book, referred to as the ALQ, is comprised of prayers, poems, and pages of the oldest discovered Passover Haggadah, which was mysteriously written upside down. The prayers and poetry in the book draw on texts from the Hebrew Bible.

“The ALQ is one of the most cherished treasures in the museum’s collection, which we are honored to steward and share with people of all faiths,” said Bobby Duke, interim Chief Curatorial Officer at Museum of the Bible. “It clarifies our understanding of the Bible’s journey along the Silk Roads and shines a light on the diverse religious, ethnic and cultural tapestry of Afghanistan throughout most of its history.” 

Interfaith effort to rescue the book

The book is also said to hold a connection to the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan. Upon discovering the text, a group of Muslims, Christians, and Jews worked together to rescue the historic document, the museum said. The group later made it accessible across the globe. These efforts had reportedly taken place under the democratically elected Afghan government before the Taliban's takeover. 

“The ALQ manuscript is indeed a gift from God to all peoples of all faiths," The Afghan Jewish Foundation said of the discovery. 

The American Sephardi Federation mirrored the foundation's sentiments, adding, “Were it not for the extraordinary efforts of the Museum of the Bible, the age and even the origins of the world’s oldest Jewish book would have been forever lost.”