New Study Reveals: Tefillin (Phylacteries) Were Not Colored Black 2,000 Years Ago

[@lsmart]

It would be nice if the scholars would stick to their field of expertise, and not make conclusions that reach into other fields they are unfamiliar with. Dr. Adler concludes: "It is commonly thought that Jewish law is static and does not develop. Our ongoing research on ancient tefillin shows that the exact opposite is true; Jewish law has always been dynamic. In my view, it is this vibrancy that makes halakhah so beautiful.” Unfortunately, he is mixing apples and oranges. When Orthodox Jews say that Halacha is non-negotiable, they are referring to Torah law. Any law that is explicit in the Torah, or whose meaning was agreed upon by the rabbis of the Talmud, is static and non-negotiable ever since. Regarding the need for tefillin cases to be dyed black, it is not stated clearly in the Talmud, and most early halachic sages from the post-Talmudic eras held that this is not a requirement, but merely a preference. They even noted that many people in their times did not have black cases. Hence, finding non-black cases is no revolutionary discovery, and it does not prove that halacha may be changed over time as we see fit.

[@solschwarz5169]

We know that the sect in Qumran was fringe, even extreme. Whether their tefillin were painted black or not proves nothing - certainly pertaining to the Pharisaic interpretation of the law.

[@rb67mustang]

Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the English sub titles. Shalom from the USA!!!

[@ionidhunedoara1491]

Can it be proven these were actual tefillin and not kameot (charms)? Kameot do not have to follow the same customs as the tefillin.

[@SollyRainus]

These Tefillin are not finished. They are in the middle of being processed. Obviously, they were not painted black. They are only painted at the end.This study proves nothing. Finished Tefillin don't look like that.

[@pedenmk]

Thank you for sharing. Thanks for English. I love this channel.

[@Bittzen]

Here's the proper summary of the video and comments: In short, this video basically says nothing. Long answer, the Tefillin in the video appear black, but it seems the woman says it's due to grease on them. These Tefillin also were clearly not yet made into Tefillin and are just the skins used for it, so one can argue it was not finished yet, which is why it wasn't painted with black paint. One can also argue the Qumran cave sect of Jews weren't pharisees, so this means nothing. One can argue Jews stored ruined ritual items in caves and containers, so these could be improper or not yet finished Tefillin as it does seem. Additionally, the fact the woman says it appears black from grease, this could mean the original way they'd darken the leather is from grease, and we moved onto a more permanent black paint as time moved on. Or perhaps the Qumran sect used grease to darken the leather while pharisees used a true paint to darken it.

[@KosherWithoutBorders]

0:19, looks black to me! Also, the dead scrolls group were not part of main stream Judaism, didn't believe in freedom of choice and had other differences. This is mad cool, keep trying! Is there a way to guesstimate how large they these Tefilin were 2000 years ago?

[@IsraelZavalunov]

זה לא תפילין. זה עורות שעוד לא עובדו אותם להיות תפילין אז ברור שהם לא נצבעו.

[@Sara-gc8nn]

There was no tefilin in tanakh. Its development of Farisees

[@Nudnik1]

In Mishnah Gemara Talmud

[@Sara-gc8nn]

@@ezsyt so?! You think I don't know shema?! Where is says it's tefilin?

[@ElizabethDMadison]

I'm a Christian. it is obviously a literalization of the words of the Shema. Tefillin may have started a little before the Pharisees if the Essenes were also using them. Both Pharisees and Essenes came from the devout hasidim at the time of the Maccabee war. Maybe the maccabees already had tefillin. Did you know the Talmud says God puts on Tefillin? They probably weren't thinking about Jesus but it makes me think of Jesus!

[@Nudnik1]

It was found at Qumram 200 BCE . Ignorance

[@olaloa6663]

ולטוטפות בין עיניך. בארמית טוטפות זה תפילין.​@@Sara-gc8nn