I've recently seen here on Ebay a few sellers selling Torah parchment scroll fragments from real Torah scrolls. Many of the sellers claim that some of these fragments are anywhere between 100 to 500 years old! After viewing over 100 of these scroll fragments on Ebay, I've come to the sad conclusion that most of these descriptions are totally false - with few exceptions. Here's why:

1) Just because a parchment fragment is  brown or ruddy does NOT mean that it's old!

Why? As the sellers explain, many of these brownish  Torah fragments are made from deer skin which is naturally tan in color when not processed using chemicals. DON'T be taken in by the color! Color can be artificially made by putting it in the oven, dying it with chemicals or just using the deer skin and claiming that it's 300 years old. Nonsense! (see how you can tell if parchment is REALLY old below).

2) "Funny Hebrew letters "prove" that it's an old Torah scroll".

FALSE! This statement is actually partially true. It is true only when the (WHITE) parchment is of Ashkenazi lineage. The LETTERS OF Ashkenazi Torah scrolls were "standardized" by the student of the Chassam Sofer  (Rabbi Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, circa early 19th Century), Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, the author of the Kitzur Shulhan Aruch. Till his time, there were various traditions of SOME of the letters in written Torah scrolls. After Rabbi Ganzfried wrote his book Keset Sofer, it became the standard guide to write the letters in the Torah scrolls; and all scrolls that vary from the standard text were declared problematic, and/or fixed or put in shamus (genizah). Some communities continued their tradition and did not accept Rabbi Ganzfried's text, notably the Yemenites and some Sephardim; but today, most Torah scrolls have the same text + style.

So, buying a Torah scroll with different lettering only proves it's old if the parchment is WHITE  (or off white) since these type are of Ashkenazic origin which accepted the Ganzfried format after the early to mid 1800s. The Sephardi & Yemenite Torah scrolls (the brown ones) did NOT necessarily follow the guidelines and you may have parchment scrolls not more than 100 years old that are brown.

3) Letters that are fading PROVE that the Torah scroll is very old.

FALSE! In most Ashkenazi (white or off white parchment) & Sephardi (brown - reddish hew parchment) Torah scrolls, fading letters can mean a few things not related to the age of the parchment writing. It could mean:

a) The scribe used lousy ink; different mixture percentage of chemical/inks.

b) The atmospheric surroundings of heat and dampness made the letters oxidize much more quickly, thereby making it look much older than it really is.

Both of these factors contribute to the letters of the Torah becoming brown or "cracking", or falling off from the parchment. Both of these factors by the way make the Torah scroll unfit for ritual use.

4) In addition, artificial aging can also be a factor in making these scrolls look older. Some unscrupulous dealers have put some of these fragments in the oven to make it look brownish and ergo "ancient"! Others can put it in chemicals making the parchment look brown. Be aware!

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A TORAH SCROLL IS REALLY OLD?

As a rule of thumb, an ancient Torah scroll which claims to be 300 or more years old (especially Ashkenazi), most of the letters have oxidized, ie turned brown. There should also be a certain brittleness to the parchment, not soft. The older the parchment, the more likely that it wasn't smeared with white paint to make the letter writing smoother for the scribe. Today, finer Torah scrolls don't have white paint smeared on them. This practice has ruined hundreds of Torah scrolls making the letters "crack" and fall off. Most of these types are usually no more than 100 years old.

Last thought. When purchasing a Torah scroll fragment, please remember that it is a Holy piece of God's Word, given to mankind to lead a life of Holiness & Truth. Please treat it with respect and take care of it. Holiness also means responsibility.

Thanks for taking the time to read this guide. Hope I was helpful,please return the favor by voting on this and many of my other guides on Judaica fakes, helpful hints and fakes on Ebay in general.

Also, I personally am selling a real early 18th Century beautiful German Torah scroll with all kinds of flowery decorations and unusual lettering. It's truly one of a kind and a real Museum piece. Please look at it and get ready to see something really nice! Thanks!

PS I'll accept any reasonable offer for the Torah scroll to have a friendly home.