Dr. Ada Yardeni is one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient Semitic languages, paleography, and epigraphy—she has published over a dozen books on these subjects. Dr. Yardeni was the first scholar to study and translate the text now known as “Gabriel’s Revelation.” Her research and translation were published as an article titled “A New Dead Sea Scroll in Stone?” in BAR’s January/February 2008 issue.

Regarding Professor Knohl’s recent research on the stone tablet, Dr, Yardeni has made the following statement to BAR’s editor Hershel Shanks:

Dear Hershel,

Since there was confusion in the media reports with regard to my view of Israel Knohl’s reading of the critical line of Hazon Gabriel (the Gabriel Revelation), I would like to make the following statement: After reviewing the document, I came to the conclusion that the reading suggested by Professor Knohl for the third word of line 80—HAYE “live”—seems to be the only plausible reading of that word. Thus, the first five words of this line should be translated as: “In three days live, I Gabriel.”

All my best regards,
Ada Yardeni