Museum of the Bible to debut world’s oldest Jewish book

WASHINGTON — Museum of the Bible announces a new exhibit set to open this fall just days ahead of Rosh Hashanah which will feature the oldest Jewish book in the world — the Afghan Liturgical Quire (ALQ). The exhibit, titled Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book, opens to guests on September 24, 2024. 

“The ALQ is one of the most cherished treasures in the museum’s collection, which we are honored to steward and share with people of all faiths,” said Bobby Duke, interim Chief Curatorial Officer at Museum of the Bible. “It clarifies our understanding of the Bible’s journey along the Silk Roads and shines a light on the diverse religious, ethnic and cultural tapestry of Afghanistan throughout most of its history.”   

The ALQ is a medieval manuscript comprised of prayers, poems, and pages of the oldest discovered Passover Haggadah, which was mysteriously written upside down. The prayers and poetry in the book draw on texts from the Hebrew Bible. 

Museum of the Bible scholars determined the ALQ is the oldest intact Hebrew book — by at least a century — and originates from the 700s. This sacred book holds a surprising connection to the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan, where Buddhism once flourished along the Silk Roads. When it finally came to light, Christians, Jews and Muslims worked together to save it, understand it and make it accessible to the world. 

This unique partnership was made possible through collaboration with the democratically elected government of Afghanistan — indeed with its blessing — based upon a shared concern for the human rights of a displaced religious minority group. 

Herschel Hepler, Museum of the Bible’s associate curator of Hebrew manuscripts and curator of the ALQ and the “Sacred Words” exhibition, remarked, “Jewish book culture preserves many unbelievable stories of survival and interfaith cooperation, from the Sarajevo Haggadah to the Aleppo Codex. The ALQ joins this international ensemble of great Hebrew books, revered for their religious and cultural significance and the stories of their survival.”

The “Sacred Words” exhibition was developed in partnership with The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, and in cooperation with the Afghan Jewish Foundation, the American Sephardi Federation, and Congregation Anshei Shalom of Jamaica Estates. These groups have praised the historic artifact and Museum of the Bible’s stewardship:

• “The Siddur is our spiritual history, heritage and inheritance. It is our duty and responsibility to make sure the Siddur, belonging to our ancestors, survives, remains protected, accessible and safe for all to see and experience at Museum of the Bible.”
              — Congregation Anshei Shalom of Jamaica Estates, the only Afghan synagogue in
                   the United States. 
• “The ALQ manuscript is indeed a gift from God to all peoples of all faiths.”
              — The Afghan Jewish Foundation
• “Were it not for the extraordinary efforts of Museum of the Bible, the age and even the origins of the world’s oldest Jewish book would have been forever lost.”
              — The American Sephardi Federation

Press requests should be sent to Press@JDAWorldwide.com.

More information on Museum of the Bible is available here.

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