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COURTESY OF THE LEON LEVY DEAD SEA SCROLLS DIGITAL LIBRARY/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY, PHOTO: SHAI HALE VI

PAPYRUS PALIMPSEST. Discovered in 1952, the Wadi Murabba‘at Papyrus is a palimpsest (reused sheet of papyrus) measuring 7 by 3.5 inches and bearing a list of names followed by amounts. Written with the Old Hebrew alphabet, the original layer dates from the seventh century B.C.E. Although papyrus was a common medium for texts, few from Israel have survived. The Wadi Murabba‘at Papyrus was found within a cave in the Judean Desert, an arid environment that allowed for its preservation.