In 1979, archaeologists discovered the original silver scrolls, which are believed to contain some of the earliest texts of the Book of Numbers in the Bible, dating back to the late 7th or early 6th century BCE. These scrolls are the oldest known original texts from the Hebrew Bible. They include the verses from Numbers 6:24-26, which read: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

If you read Monday's blog post, I discussed how we can find peace when we place our anxieties on God. It’s intriguing to me that, in researching some interesting facts about the Bible, the oldest original text ever found addresses the same theme: God’s peace and His graciousness. The Bible mentions peace about 429 times, and I find great comfort in knowing that so many passages emphasize peace—even in books written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.