Second Temple Jewish Scriptures — Manuscripts and Textual Traditions

The Nash Papyrus

c. 150-100 BC
A Visit With Jesus

The Nash Papyrus preserves Hebrew portions of the Ten Commandments and the Shema used in Jewish devotion.

Full Account

Found in Egypt, the small papyrus contains a combined form of the Decalogue followed by Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it was among the oldest known Hebrew biblical manuscript fragments.

Its wording reflects a liturgical or instructional use rather than a surviving leaf from a complete biblical scroll. It remains an important witness to the reading of Torah in the centuries before Christ.

Historical Significance

The papyrus offers physical evidence that core Torah passages were copied and used devotionally in the Second Temple period.

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