Event WatchExhibitions and events around the globe are illuminating the Bible and archaeology.  Egypt and the BibleUniversity of Toronto 
The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities presents “Egypt and the Bible” at the University of Toronto on Saturday, November 7 at the University of Toronto. The symposium, which is open to the public, will include presentations from eminent Biblical scholars such as Dr. James Hoffmeier. The Art of the Jews: 3,000 Years in the MakingGeorge and Lottie Sherman Museum of Jewish Civilization 
A new exhibit, The Art of the Jews: 3,000 Years in the Making at the George and Lottie Sherman Museum of Jewish Civilization at the Mortensen Library located at the University of Hartford opened on November 1. The exhibition, which follows a symposium on mental health and Jewish art, will remain open for three months. The exhibit will showcase artifacts of Biblical significance from a number of various collections, including antiquities from the excavations at Bethsaida, the State of Israel, the Irving and Fran Waltman Cantorial collection, the Joel and SusAnna Grae Mediterranean and Judaic Collections and work from artist Susan Weinreich. More information can be found on the University of Hartford’s website.Treasures of the Holy Land: Cleveland’s First Museum ExhibitThe Museum Center at 5ive Points 
In celebration of the Museum Center at 5ive Points 10th anniversary, the museum has created the Treasures of the Holy Land: Cleveland’s First Museum exhibit. The exhibition showcases Biblical artifacts on loan from The Bob Jones University Art Museum & Gallery. A total of 55 Biblical artifacts will be on display, including a 5th-century A.D. foot lamp, two Jewish scrolls—the Book of Ruth and the Book of Esther—a 5th-century B.C. cuneiform cylinder with an inscription from King Nebuchadnezzar and many objects of daily life from the New Testament era. More information can be found on the Museum Center at 5ive Points website.Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the WorldThe Second Installation 
The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto has recently opened the second installation of its six month exhibition Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World, which is being presented in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority. Some of the featured scrolls include the Book of War Scroll, the Messianic Apocalypse Scroll and a portion from Genesis. Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient GreeceThe Walters Art Museum 
What makes a hero? Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece, now on display at The Walters Art Museum, explores this timeless question with more than 100 artifacts showcasing the lives and legends of such ancient Greek heroes as Achilles, Herakles, Odysseus and Helen (such as Helen and Menelaos at the Sack of Troy). Culled from the world’s finest museums, the exhibit’s statues, reliefs, vases, bronzes and jewelry tell the story of these ancient heroes and heroines, while offering insight into their importance within Greek society, both as objects of veneration and as role models. As part of the exhibit, visitors can also walk through a large-scale reconstruction of an ancient Greek hero shrine. Scripture for the Eyes: Bible Illustration in Netherlandish Prints of the Sixteenth CenturyMichael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University 
This exhibition brings together more than 80 Biblically inspired engravings and woodcuts crafted in the Netherlands during the 16th century. The prints, which include vivid portrayals of such Old and New Testament episodes as the Adoration of the Magi, The Return of the Prodigal Son and the Crossing of the River Jordan, were used to illustrate northern European Bibles during the tumultuous periods of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Crafted by both Catholic and Lutheran artists, the engravings and woodcuts gave subtle yet artistic expression to these competing theological interpretations. Unraveling the Hidden Contradictions in the New TestamentSmithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center 
The Smithsonian’s Resident Associate program presents “Unraveling the Hidden Contradictions in the New Testament,” a day-long seminar led by eminent New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman. The four-lecture series looks at some of the enormous historical and interpretive problems contained within the New Testament—possibly the most misunderstood book in western civilization. Professor Ehrman examines some of these problems and considers the diverging voices of the New Testament, which often make it difficult to hear the voice of the historical Jesus himself. Bart Ehrman, the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is one of the world’s leading authorities on the early Church and the life of Jesus. Dr. Ehrman is also a featured speaker at the Biblical Archaeology Society’s 12th Annual Bible and Archaeology Fest this coming November in New Orleans. Click here for more information about Professor Ehrman’s seminar at the Smithsonian. The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient EgyptThe Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago 
The Oriental Institute’s exhibit, “The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt“ explores the life of an Egyptian priestess-musician who lived around 800 B.C. With the exhibit running to the beginning of December 2009, visitors are encouraged to head to Chicago to experience a stunning presentation of what life was like for a temple singer both inside and outside of her sacred duties. The highlight of the exhibit is the mummy of Meresamun, accompanied by its decorated coffin. The exhibit will also feature artifacts that researches believe would have been used during her lifetime in both her sacred and private life. In preparation for the exhibit, the mummy of Meresamun was studied at the University of Chicago Hospital, were it underwent an examination with a Philips Healthcare Brilliance iCT 256-slice scanner. A 3-D image and reconstruction of Meresamun’s features were made possible through the use of the CT scan as well as forensic data. Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-20The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago 
The Oriental Institute’s upcoming exhibit “Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-20” will present the history behind the creation of the Oriental Institute’s collection. Following John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s generous donation to establish the Oriental Institute in 1919, an expedition to the Middle East was quickly organized to collect objects for the newly founded Institute and identify sites for excavation. 
Through a collection of original photographs, letters, documents and artifacts, the exhibit chronicles the incredible expedition that was led by the intrepid James Henry Breasted. Through the lens of this watershed journey, “Pioneers to the Past” also examines such hot-button issues as international politics and archaeology and the presence of foreign countries in other territories—specifically the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East and the handling of the world’s cultural heritage. The Nuremberg Mahzor: A Medieval Masterwork UnveiledThe Israel Museum, Jerusalem The Nuremberg Mahzor, a centuries-old manuscript that contains prayers for the Jewish year as well as related commentaries and a collection of liturgical poems, will be the highlight of the Israel Museum’s upcoming exhibit: The Nuremberg Mahzor: A Medieval Masterwork Unveiled. The manuscript, which is on extended loan to the museum from Dr. David and Jemima Jeselsohn, was created in 1331 in Nuremberg, Germany. It is beautifully embellished with valuable materials such as gold and silver leaf panels as well, as other precious pigments. Written on parchment, “its volume, weight, and distinctive illumination reflect one of the highest achievements of Hebrew manuscript production from the Jewish Diaspora during medieval times.” For centuries, the document was used by the Jewish community in the Nuremberg region. Following the expulsion of Jews from Nuremberg in 1499, it was placed in the Nuremberg Municipal Library, where it was ravaged years later—presumably by soldiers—during the Napoleonic wars. The manuscript recently underwent extensive conservation at the Israel Museum, and will be displayed with four of the missing leaves that were removed in the early 19th-century. More information can be found on the Israel Museum of Jerusalem’s website. William Blake’s World: “A New Heaven Is Begun”The Morgan Library & Museum A large collection of artwork belonging to William Blake (1757–1827) will be on display this fall at the Morgan Library & Museum. The exhibit, William Blake’s World: “A New Heaven Is Begun” will open this September and will showcase a series of watercolor pieces, 21 illustrations of the Book of Job and 12 designs that illustrate Milton’s L’Allegro and Il Penseroso. Blake was trained as an engraver—many of his prints will be on display and his talent as a poet will be showcased throughout the exhibit. The success of Blake’s illuminated books “reflect medieval manuscript illumination and the interrelationship between word and image.” William Blake, born in 18th-century London, grew up in an environment that cultivated his interest in the political and social worlds. Blake was trained as an engraver although he dabbled in other artistic mediums. His talent and inventive techniques of engraving were put to imaginative uses in the illuminated books he created during his lifetime. As an engraver, William Blake’s works left a significant imprint on the world of Biblical art—much of which is on display at the Morgan Library & Museum. More information can be found on The Morgan Library & Museum website. Ethiopian and Egyptian Art Exhibition in Baltimore, MarylandThe Walters Art Museum Permanent Exhibit The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is the home of an impressive collection of Egyptian and Ethiopian art. The Ethiopian art, which is the largest collection of its type outside of Ethiopia, is displayed with other works of art from Byzantium and Russia in order to highlight the ancient Christian Church. The majority of the pieces throughout the exhibit are related to the Coptic Church and the Orthodox community. For more information please visit the Walters Art Museum website. Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the WorldRoyal Ontario Museum Dates: June 27, 2009 through January 3, 2010 First Installation: June 27 to October 9, 2009 The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is hosting the extraordinary Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World exhibition in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority. During the course of the exhibit’s six month run, a total of seventeen scrolls will be on display in two separate installations. A special feature of the exhibition will include a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the “Deuteronomy Scroll”—the earliest known copy of the Ten Commandments. Some of the scrolls planned for display include the War Scroll, the Messianic Apocalypse Scroll and a portion from Genesis that recounts the Exodus. This exhibition will also include archaeological treasures found at Qumran, Jerusalem and other parts of Judea and the Galilee. This exhibit will shed light on the importance of the scrolls to major religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The exhibit also includes lectures, symposia and debates that discuss the roll of the Scrolls in the present world. For more information please visit the Royal Ontario Museum website. Museum of the Good Samaritan Opens in IsraelJudean Desert, Israel The Museum of the Good Samaritan in Israel has recently opened to the public. Located in the Judean Desert between Jerusalem and Jericho, the museum will display mosaics and artifacts relating to the ancient Christians, Jews and Samaritans who resided in Israel long ago. This new museum is considered to be one of the largest mosaic museums in the world. The site of the museum is identified with the Biblical Ma’ale Adumim, which was located at the junction between the tribal lands of Benjamin and of Judah (Joshua 15:7; 18:17). In the Byzantine period it was identified with the inn mentioned in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25Ð37). Some inspiration for the items chosen to be displayed in the museum comes from this parable, and accordingly the museum’s displays include items from both Jewish and Samaritan synagogues, as well as from ancient Christian churches. The museum will have an open-air display that will showcase many mosaics, some of which were brought there as means of preserving and protecting them from damage and destruction. To learn more, please visit the Israel Antiquities Authority’s website. Near Eastern Seals ExhibitionThe Morgan Library & Museum A number of Near Eastern seals from the collection belonging to Pierpont Morgan will be part of an ongoing exhibition at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. The various seals, which date from 3500 B.C. to 330 B.C., will be displayed with an ancient Near Eastern statue in order to demonstrate the relationship between the seals and other artwork from the region. The themed exhibit will follow the progress of the iconography of power represented by the seals throughout Mesopotamia, from the emergence of their existence in the fourth millennium B.C. through the first millennium B.C., when Mesopotamia became part of the Persian Empire. Some of the items that will be on display include the “Nude Bearded Hero Wrestling with Water Buffalo; Bull-Man Fighting Lion” (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.), an Akkadian period seal depicting two heraldic pairs and emphasizing the concepts of force and power, and “A Winged Hero Pursuing Two Ostriches” (ca. 12th–11th century B.C.), one of the most striking of the Morgan’s Middle Assyrian seals. More information can be found on The Morgan Library & Museum website. Neither Man nor BeastDepictions of animals pervaded the imagery on the gold, silver and bronze coinage of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Although they often appear in their natural state, animals sometimes share the features of humans or other beasts, taking the form of mythical creatures like centaurs and sphinxes. Ancient Greek and Roman coins also featured heroes, divinities and rulers depicted with animal attributes to emphasize their special powers or to promote a specific political identity. Minted in third-century B.C. Naples, the coin pictured depicts the nymph Parthenope on the obverse side; on the reverse a man-headed bull is crowned by Nike. This exhibit examines ancient notions of mixed identity—the idea of being neither man nor beast, neither fully mortal nor fully divine but somehow both. The ancient concept of a hybrid self was a significant element in the development of both political and religious thought, which imagined God as a being of multiple identities and faces and, in some cases, of mixed lineage. Temples, Tells and TombsMilwaukee Public Museum Now showing at the Milwaukee Public Museum is an exhibition titled “Temples, Tells and Tombs.” The exhibition mixes the ancient and the modern to help visitors interpret the past. |
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