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http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Resources/Texts/dss.htmlPhylacteryTefillin
Fragment A: height 17.7 cm (7 in.)
length 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Fragment B: height 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in.)
length 2.8 cm (1 1/8 in.)
Mur 4 Phyl
Parchment
Copied first century-early second century C.E.
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority (3)
The command "And thou shalt bind them for a sign
upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes" (Deut.
6:8) was practiced by Jews from early times. In the Second Temple period the
sages established that tefillin (phylacteries; amulets in Greek) would
include four scriptural passages inscribed on parchment placed in box-like
containers made of black leather. One of the phylacteries was worn one on the
left arm and the other on the forehead. These served "as a sign upon
your hand and as a symbol on your forehead that with a mighty hand the Lord
freed us from Egypt" (Exodus 13:9, 16).
The Dead Sea region has now yielded the earliest phylactery remains, both of the leather containers and the inscribed strips of parchment. As a rule, phylacteries include the same four selections, two from the book of Exodus (Exod. 13:1-10; 13:11-16) and two from Deuteronomy (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21). The scriptural verses were penned in clear minuscule characters on the elongated writing material, which was folded over to fit the minute compartments stamped into the containers.
English Translation of the Phylactery (Tefillin) ScrollMur 4 Phyl
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority (3)
Exod. 13:1-3
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