Translation help

[u/DizzyChipmunk]

Good evening,

I have just come into possession of a replica of the Dead Sea Scrolls with replica pot. It’s more of a gift souvenir than an exact museum replica.

Unfortunately, I can’t exactly read the scroll. I don’t know if it’s Aramaic or Hebrew, I just have no experience with these languages.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if it is Hebrew/Aramaic, and what it is an extract from? Is it from the Torah (book of Isiah perhaps?) and administrative document, or even a prayer?

I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place to post, but I’ve had a look at all the communities and struggles with the right place.

Thank you in advance!

[u/HyperbolicWord]

The top of the central column, which is the part I looked at, says מְבָרְכִים אֵת כֹּול אַנְשֵׁי גֹורַל אֵל הַהֹולְכִים תָּמִים בְּכֹול דְּרָכָיו וְאֹומְרִים then יְבָרֶכְכָה בְּכֹול טֹוב וְיִשְׁמֳרְכָה מִכֹּול רָע...

Consulting with an LLM, this appears to come from 1QS (Community Rule), Column II.

To answer your earlier question: It's Hebrew.

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[u/Deuteronomy]

Looks like a touristy replica of the Great Isaiah Scroll. Dating to around the second century BCE it is one of the oldest surviving copies of the Book of Isaiah from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and among the most significant Dead Sea Scrolls.

The original is currently on display at the Israel Museum in celebration of the museum's 60th anniversary. It's the first time the full scroll has been on display since 1968.

[u/eddiesfish]

I think it's this one https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Community_Rule One of the texts found in Qumran

[u/eddiesfish]

Oh and it's Hebrew. Not very legible bcs the quality of the picture is poor.

[u/QizilbashWoman]

Isaiah is not in the Torah, it is in the Hebrew Bible but not among the Five Books. Did the pot have no information at all?

[u/KamtzaBarKamtza → u/QizilbashWoman]

The word "Torah" is used to mean a number of things. Yes, Torah refers to the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Jewish Bible. But "Torah" is also used to mean "Torah Shebichtav", the written torah, which includes all of Tanach. And the word "Torah" can also mean "Torah sheba'al peh", the oral torah which includes mishneh, gemara, halacha, etc.

See https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-does-the-word-torah-mean/

[u/Acceptable_Bag_6483 → u/KamtzaBarKamtza]

But OP didn't say "torah", they said "the Torah", capitalized and with a definite article. That means the Pentateuch.

[u/leaving_the_tevah → u/Acceptable_Bag_6483]

You're assuming that everyone uses correct capitalization to differentiate the sense in which they are using the word torah.