Letter from Professor W. F. Albright, Containing His First Reaction to Images of the Great Isaiah Scroll

By: William F. Albright

Collection ID

PPR.010252

Type

Papers

Date

March 8, 1948

Geography

Baltimore, Maryland (United States)

Language

English

Medium

Ink on Paper

Dimensions

11.9 × 7 in. (30.3 × 18 cm)

Exhibit Location

On View in The History of the Bible, The Written Tradition

The original typed and signed letter by Professor William F. Albright (Johns Hopkins University) in which he reacts to the first images of the Great Isaiah Scroll. In the weeks prior, Professor John C. Trever photographed several Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel and airmailed images to Albright. This letter contains Albright’s first reaction to the Great Isaiah Scroll, referring to it as “the greatest [manuscript] discovery of modern times!” and “an absolutely incredible find!” Though it was an initial assessment, further studies supported Albright’s dating of the Great Isaiah Scroll to “around 100 B.C.”

Created on March 8, 1948, by Professor William F. Albright, Johns Hopkins University; Delivered to Professor John C. Trever while in Jerusalem;[1] By descent in 2006 to James E. Trever, New Mexico; Privately purchased in 2020 by Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Notes: [1] This letter returned to the United States with Trever.

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