FORT WORTH, TEXAS—January 31, 2012— This summer North Texas residents and visitors to Fort Worth, Texas, will have the opportunity to view one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Dead Sea Scroll fragments ever assembled. Securing a chance to see them just became easier with today’s launch of pre-event ticket sales at SeeTheScrolls.com.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, located in Southwest Fort Worth near both I-20 and I-35, will open Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible: Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures on July 2, 2012—making the exhibition an ideal summer travel experience for individuals, families and groups interested in history, archaeology, the Bible and religion. Visitorswill be able to view scroll fragments up close, admire ancient clay jars that originally contained the scrolls, and stand underneath an excavation tent—all while contemplating the impact the discovery had on those who found the scrolls and the generations that followed.
Although informative exhibitions about the Dead Sea Scrolls have been featured in other United States cities, Southwestern’s exhibition at the new MacGorman Performing Arts Center will feature dozens of uncommon texts and artifacts. Most importantly, 16 Dead Sea Scroll fragments—one of the highest numbers of fragments ever displayed together—will be on view in a specially designed scriptorium. Several of the fragments originate from Southwestern’s Dead Sea Scroll collection, but curators have also collaborated with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the West Semitic Research Project to make additional Dead Sea Scroll fragments and artifacts available for viewing. Biblical passages from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Daniel, the Psalms and others will be a part of the exhibition.
True to its name, Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible will feature texts and artifacts from the collection of scroll fragments that have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of moderntimes. In addition, the curatorial team plans to highlight how the scrolls were processed and transmitted through subsequent decades.
Featured artifacts include:
- Eight parchment fragments that will be on public display for the first time (one half of the total number exhibited)
- Several glass vessels and household objects—ranging from leather sandals to alabaster vessels to Roman coins
- A rare medieval-era palimpsest (twice-written upon) bearing Hebrew and Coptic script
- Portions of the Gutenberg Bible (the first substantial book printed with movable type) from 1455
- A King James Bible from 1611
Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible opens this July and will continue through January 2013. All proceeds from the exhibition will fund archaeological research currently being conducted in the Middle East and the biblical archaeology program at Southwestern Seminary. For tickets and additional details about Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible, visit SeeTheScrolls.com. For information about Southwestern’s commitment to archaeology and historical scholarship, visit swbts.edu/archaeology and tandyinstitute.org.
# # #
Contact: Ashley Freer, Balcom Agency
|