‘Ink and Blood’ Exhibit at Museum of Idaho is Spectacular!
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This year, I have had the opportunity to volunteer as a docent at the Museum of Idaho, and their latest exhibit, entitled ‘Ink and blood: From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the King James Bible’ is utterly amazing and should be experienced by everyone who lives in the area!
For those who don’t know, the recent exhibit features artifacts from all stages of biblical and linguistic history, including early hebrew tablets, Egyptian pictograms, an incredibly well-preserved Torah scroll, some of the earliest latin, English, and modern bibles, even actual fragments of the famous “Dead Sea Scrolls”. The exhibit also features, for the first time, a helpful audio program and video segments along the way.
One of the most interesting points in the tour in an exhibit featuring prominent Reformation firgures, including Wyclif, Luther, and (I was very pleased to see this one) William Tyndale.
The ‘Ink and Blood’ exhibit offers a great look into the history of the Judeo-Christian tradition, how our language was formed, even how writing itself came into being! So even if you don’t share the beliefs printed on the pages of the Bible, you can appreciate what those words did to shape history.
If you get the chance, and I urge that you do, to tour the exhibit, be sure to catch a demonstration of a reconstructed Gutenberg Press, which prints pages of the Bible every hour and a half. It’s really spectacular!
The Post Register also has an exhibit in a neighboring room. Lovers of local history will love this one.
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Comments
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0 Through Memorial Day.
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0 0 Awesome article, I was hesitating about seeing it but now I will see the exhibit.
Think it would be interesting for a six year old?
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0 0 I also am enjoying being a docent at the exhibit. I think the most enjoyable part for me personally at this point has been being able to read the Hebrew on the big scroll from Egypt dating from 1200 - 1300 A.D. I started to read it, and its Genesis chapters 1 - 6!
And its beautifully written! A lot of folks seem to be appreciating the interesting Hebrew characteristics on it also as I point them out, and what the rabbis say about their language, how they write it, what it means, etc. EVERYONE should come out and see the magnificent collection of Bibles also. It is awe-inspiring.
Best,
Kerry A. Shirts (a.k.a. “The Backyard Professor”)
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0 0 Kerry - great to see you! Thanks for the crash-course in Hebrew the other day. I look forward to more lessons the next time we work together.
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0 0 Oh no, the pleasure will be all mine! Introduce yourself to me again, so I can put your name to your face.
And you are doing a GREAT job with this entire community internet site! I am enjoying the discussion boards in the religion section also. Yeah some get bent out of shape, but don’t stop it. I have found we can all work out the kinks after initial hostilities….. ironically enough, based on my past 13 years on the net talking religion, I have found that many I strongly disagreed with at first, are now very dear friends……… so lets keep the discussions going.
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0 0 Sounds very cool, I will be sure to make time to check it our before it goes away.
I think the muesem has had some great exhibits, I loved the space one, it was a blast! (pun intended…)
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0 0 So would this exhibit be appropriate for a 6 year old, or would they be bored?
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0 0 There are plenty of activities for kids (such as rubbing stations, a demonstration of the Gutenberg, etc.). I’ve noticed that lots of kids seem to have a great time there (especially those there with church groups). I think it’s safe to bring them on in - if anything, they will love the children’s Discovery Room!
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0 0 Jeremy, do you happen to know the hours their open during the week?
Thanks!
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0 0 I believe it’s 9-5.
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0 0 I, like Kerry, appreciate you Jeremy in illuminating the internet readership with the topic of “Ink & Blood.
Come to the Museum of Idaho for some beautiful examples of rubrication and illumination of the biblical text.
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0 0 I too thought it was spectacular. After seeing that exhibit I can’t figure out how any thinking person can say the bible as we have it today, whatever “version”, as a whole, is the word of God. Those documents went through so many hands and translations, and interpretations that it makes one wonder. I have some friends that believe every word in the bible came from God. Hard to believe after see this exhibit.
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0 0 That’s probably not the way that the exhibit was designed to lead you - though, I can respect the sentiment. Here’s what I took away from the exhibit - the Bible is one of the most misunderstood, complex, and beautifully written books in history, one that has influenced history, toppled empires, even fueled movements and revolutions. While we can never know, in this lifetime, whether it is all True (like you said, this is unlikely), perhaps in learning how it was constructed, translated, and changed, we can gain some kind of understanding about our existence. Is the bible the absolute word of God - I believe not. However, it is many words about God, and that is good enough for me. I, like the mystics, believe that the Bible is but one way to know God, and that the other pages of the Book are written on the hearts of men.
I would really suggest talking to Mr. Shirts about the Hebrew language - it was enlightening for me to understand the irreconcilable differences between English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew - and in understanding this, we can learn to avoid errors in our religious beliefs!
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Jeremy, how long is that exhibit going to be there. I thought I remember hearing it was there just for the weekend, but I hope not as I didn’t get a chance to go and was hoping to check it out sometime this week.