The World’s Oldest Torah Scrolls

By Gary A. Rendsburg. A recent announcement by the Library of Congress regarding the purchase of a single Torah scroll sheet dating from approximately 1000 C.E. has generated great interest in the topic of old Torah scrolls. Just what are the world’s oldest Torah scrolls and where does the Library of Congress scroll fit in?
The Library of Congress scroll sheet contains five columns of text, comprising Exodus 10:10-16:15, a portion extending from the Plague of Locusts to the appearance of Manna in the desert. Included within the text is the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1‒19). More...