Ancient Torah DiscoveredThat makes it medieval rather than ancient (the cutoff date for ancient is variously the fall of Rome [c. 400], the rise of Islam [c. 600], or the reign of Charlemagne [c. 800] - take your pick). But it still comes under the technical category "way old," which sometimes attracts the attention of PaleoJudaica. I hope we hear more about this Torah Scroll.
(Grand Street News)
Our favorite local scribe, Rabbi Itzhak Reisman, called us up last month with great news: �I acquired a Torah scroll, written on brownish parchment,� he reported. �The moment I saw it, I recognized it as a Spanish scroll, which means it had to be written before 1492. My estimate was about 1480.�
Reisman says he had a partner in purchasing this scroll, and the partner didn�t trust his expertise so much. So they sent a small sample for carbon dating. The estimate they received was that the scroll was about 1000 years old.
�But my partner was still suspicious, so he took it to another company, for a little more money,� says Reisman, �and they presumably gave a more accurate dating: Between 1290 and 1315.�
[...]
Under the same category, according to Chabad.org tomorrow (6 Adar, 5769) is an interesting anniversary:
First Print of Torah with Onkelos & Rashi (1482)
The first edition of the Five Books of Moses (Torah) with the Targum Onkelos (Aramaic translation of the Torah) and the commentary of the famed commentator Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi, was published on this date in 1482. It was published in Bologna, Italy by Joseph b. Abraham Caravita, who set up a printing-press in his own home.