Bibles rescued from Syria in secret opThat is, they may be among the oldest complete manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls and many Greek Septuagint manuscripts are, of course, much older.
Holy books dating back 1,000 years, meticulously guarded by Jewish community, travel from Damascus to Israel in continent-wide, James Bond-style operation
Uri Misgav
Published: 10.05.11, 14:56 / Israel Jewish Scene (YnetNews)
It was a James Bond-style, continent-wide operation with many participants. It began in Syria, continued in the United States and ended in Israel. And yet, not a single word has been published about it – until now.
Yedioth Ahronoth has revealed the amazing rescue of some of the world's most ancient Bibles from Damascus.
The 11 holy books, some dating back 1,000 years, were written by copyist of the Scriptures around the world and arrived in the Syrian capital in different periods. The Jewish community took pride in them and guarded them meticulously, helping them survive the political upheavals that took place in the city over the years.
The Damascus books are considered the world's most ancient Bibles after the Aleppo Codex, which compared to them is torn and shabby.
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The Associated Press also has an article on the story: Bible Manuscripts From Damascus Go on Rare Display.