Ketef Hinnom Amulets Two small silver scrolls, containing text similar to Num 6:24–26 and Deut 7:9, found in 1979 in a tomb near the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem and dated to the late seventh or early sixth century bc.

The amulets were found during an excavation led by Gabriel Barkay and first announced in 1983. The amulets contain several lines of Hebrew script, the preserved portions of which include blessings almost identical to the Aaronic blessing of Num 6:24–26, as well as text similar to Deut 7:9. This makes them the earliest-known copy of a text from the Old Testament, as well as the earliest-known confessional statement including the Tetragrammaton (YHWH; Barkay et al., “Amulets,” 41). It is likely that the amulets served an apotropaic purpose—that is, they were worn as jewelry in order to invoke divine protection against evil (Barkay et al., “Amulets,” 46).

It has been argued that the two texts’ appearance together as early as the seventh century challenges exilic or postexilic dates for the composition of the Pentateuch. For example, Waaler writes that “at least important constituents of two strands of material in the Pentateuch are likely to have been found together before Josiah’s reform, or even as early as Manasseh” (Waaler, “Revised Date,” 53).

The text of the first amulet (KH1) may be translated as follows (De Souza, “Ketef Hinnom,” 30):

1 YHW [H]

2 …

3 [keep]

4 the covenant (and)

5 [the] lovingkindness to those who lov(e)

6 [him] and those who keep [his command]

7 [ments].

8 eternity

9 blessing from all

10 and from evil

11 for in him redemption

12 for YHWH

13 our restorer [and]

14 [r]ock may ble[ss]

15 thess YHWH [and]

16 [may he] keep thee, [may

17 sh]ine YHWH

18 [his] face

The text of the second amulet (KH2) may be translated as follows (De Souza, “Ketef Hinnom,” 31):

1 the blessing

2 to YHWH

3 the helper

4 rebuker of

5 [e]vil may ble[ss]

6 [you] YHWH and

7 keep you

8 may shine YH

9 [W]H his face

10 upon you and

11 grant you p

12 [ea]ce