Ketef Hinnom

 
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The picture on the left is Ketef Hinnom. For perspective, I added the picture on the right. Ketef Hinnom is in the foreground with Mt. Zion in the background. Hinnom is the valley between the two.
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We were in search of Ketef Hinnom, the archaeological burial site where two tiny silver amulets were discovered in 1979. Why was I so interested in these amulets and seeing the place where they were discovered? Because they are the oldest surviving copies of biblical text. They date to the late 7th century BCE. They are about 400 years older than the more renowned Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were a marvelous find, and in terms of volume, these amulets cannot compare to them. But the amulets are remarkable because, not only are they the oldest copies of biblical text, but they contain the oldest inscription of the name of God: YHWH.
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The two amulets are displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. They are incredibly small, about 1” x 3-3/4” and 1/2” x 1-1/2”. They are so thin that I could barely detect the inscriptions, even though the smaller one was positioned behind a magnifying glass. The explanatory sign beside them states: “The amulets, inscribed in the ancient Hebrew script, were found rolled into tiny scrolls in a burial cave in Jerusalem. They were incised with a sharp, thin stylus no thicker than a hair’s breadth, and thus deciphering the inscription was difficult.”
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Scholars were eventually able to discern that the amulets contained the Priestly Benediction, found in Numbers 6:24-26. The Lord told Moses that Aaron and his sons should speak these words to the children of Israel. Even today, priests repeat these words every Shabbat in orthodox synagogues.
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On the small amulet was written these words: “[For so-and-so, (the son/daughter of…] h/hu. May h[e]/sh[e] be blessed by YHWH, the warrior and the rebuker of [Evil]: May YHWH bless you, keep you. May YHWH make his face shine upon you and grant you p[ea]ce.”
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The large amulet was similar and scholars were able to distinguish the following: “[…]YHW…the grea[t…who keeps] the covenant and [g]raciousness toward those who love [him] and those who keep [his commandments…] the Eternal […] [the?] blessing more than any [sna]re and more than Evil. For redemption is in him. For YHWH is our restorer [and] rock. May YHWH bles[s] you and [may he] keep you. [May] YHWH make [his face] shine…”
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Ketef Hinnom means “shoulder of Hinnom.” If I remember correctly, modern day Jews pronounce it “Kay-teff Hee-gnome.” It is a hill near Hebron Road that overlooks the Hinnom Valley.
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A guide book got us to the general area, but its directions were not precise enough. We walked up Hebron Road, where we saw a sign that said “Bible Hill.” I thought that this might be Ketef Hinnom. We climbed up Bible Hill and were rewarded with a beautiful view of Mount Zion and the Old City...but no burial cave. We sat on some concrete blocks, enjoying our view of Jerusalem, joking about the “ancient” concrete structures. We could see St. Andrews Church of Scotland, which the guide book said was next to the cave, but a barbed wire fence kept us from accessing the property from Bible Hill. I later learned that this hill is termed Bible Hill because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin used this ridge it to mark their boundaries (Joshua 15:8; 18:16).
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We climbed down the hill and finally found the front gate into the Scottish Church. The clerk in the guest house/church knew nothing about the cave. Only when we described to him what it looked like did he remember that this famous cave was on his property! Anyway, we found the cave. What we were able to view was the lower portion of the burial site, since the upper portion was razed years ago, possibly during a war.
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In Bible days, people were generally buried in family tombs, usually cave-type structures that were hewn out of rocks. Many generations would use these tombs. A good example of this is Abraham’s family. Abraham purchased a cave in Machpelah. The Bible records that Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah were all buried in this same cave (Genesis 23:3-20; 49:29-32).
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At Ketef Hinnom, spaces configured to the shape and size of human bodies were carved on the floor of the tomb. We could even detect the outline of the place where the heads would lie. When a family member died, he or she was placed in one of these spaces.
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Periodically, the skeletons of the dead would be removed and placed in a pit that was in the middle of the cave. If gifts had been buried with the body, they would be placed in this pit too. Here at Ketef Hinnom, archaeologists discovered pieces of pottery, iron, and alabaster, remnants of long-forgotten but once-treasured gifts. This is where the two silver amulets were found. The process of periodic skeleton transfer freed the spaces for the burial of other bodies. One person I met told me that this procedure was practiced once a year.
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So, when the Bible says that a person “slept with his fathers” or was “gathered unto his people,” it is referring to the burial procedure common at that time.
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Of all the places I visited in Jerusalem, Ketef Hinnom, an almost forgotten site, was to me one of the most significant. Written on tiny, fragile silver fragments, is God's name. He wants us to know Who He is. I find it incredibly mindboggling that God would allow the oldest biblical manuscript ever found to be such a beautiful expression of His goodness. It is a rich reminder of God’s eagerness to bless us, to be our protector and source of peace. He is not a distant, unconcerned god, but the One True God whose nature is inherently good, generous, and kind. As a gracious father smiles down upon his children, so does our God’s face shine upon us.
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“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26