Shema Yisrael, 3rd century CE

Archaeologists from the Institute of Prehistory and Early History of the University of Vienna have found an amulet inscribed with a Jewish prayer in a Roman child’s grave dating back to the 3rd century CE at a burial ground in the Austrian town of Halbturn. The 2.2-centimeter-long gold scroll represents the earliest sign of Jewish inhabitants in present-day Austria.
The inscription on the amulet is a Jewish prayer-

ΣΥΜΑ ΙΣΤΡΑΗΛ ΑΔΩNΕ ΕΛΩΗ ΑΔΩN Α

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

University of Vienna Press Release, “Archaeological Sensation in Austria,” March 13, 2008.

See also-

• Shema Yisrael, 1st century CE
• The Shema- Affirming Faith in God and His Commandments
• Mishnah Berakhot 1-1-4- Laws Regarding recitation of the Shema
• The Shema and its Benedictions, Ismar Elbogen, Jewish Liturgy, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia 1993.