First Temple-period papyrus document finding in Jerusalem

Tanya Bitler, a conservator at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), shows a rare First Temple-period papyrus document with the words written in ancient Hebrew script 'To Ishmael send...' at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, 07 September 2022. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, a special intelligence operation led to the repatriation of the document. 'Based on the writing, it is proposed to date the 'Ishmael Papyrus' to the seventh to sixth centuries BCE, joining only two other documents from this period in the Israel Antiquities Authority Dead Sea Scrolls collection. All three papyri come from the Judean Desert, where the dry climate enables the preservation of the papyri,' the IAA said. Experts believe the find is a fragment of a letter containing instructions to the recipient.