The Dead Sea Scrolls in Singapore
Exhibit Presented at The Arts House Through September 20th, 2009
Sep 9, 2009
Between the years of 1947 and 1956, a small number of scrolls and hundreds of fragments of scrolls were initially discovered by a local shepherd in the Qumran caves, near the Dead Sea. This significant discovery confirmed the accuracy of the Biblical manuscript tradition and ended arguments about the possible dates of certain prophetic writings. The manuscripts, that were discovered sealed in multiple clay pots, are dated between 250 B.C and 68 A.D.
Ancient Items on Display
The exhibit begins on the first floor with a short film on the discovery of the scrolls. Soon individuals are led to the second floor to see the items on display, along with different rooms for different sections of the exhibit.
- The Origins of Writing: Mesopotamian (modern-day Iraq) pictography on clay dating back to 2400 B.C. This writing is a precursor to the ancient cuneiform system of writing that was created over 5,000 years ago. Many other tablets and Greek on Papyrus are just some of additional items in this section;
- The Manuscript Tradition of Holy Scripture: The original fragments of some of the scrolls are exhibited along with the infrared photographic copy. The translations are included on a separate piece of paper within each display. One fragment is an extremely rare significant witness to the writings of Daniel (5:13-16). Numerous other fragments of ancient writing from various time periods can also be found in this section.
- The History of Holy Scripture in Print: This is an intriguing display of some of the oldest Bibles in history, which includes translations into Greek, Latin, Spanish, German and English. Many of the English translators were regarded as heretics and criminals. A crime punishable by death. William Tyndale, English translator of the First Tyndale New Testament in 1526 was imprisoned in Brussels, strangled to death and burned at the stake for this crime. The Wycliffite Bible (1390), Gutenberg Bible (1455), Geneva Bible (1560), Bishops Bible (1568), King James Bible (1611), and the first Lunar Bible (1971) are just some of the Bibles on display here.
Rare Exhibit Should Not Be Missed
The majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls are located permanently at the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. This is the first time that some of the scrolls have made it to Asia and they will probably not make it this way again anytime soon. This exhibition tells the intriguing story of the Bible and how the Bible made its way around the world by translators who risked their very lives to make sure everyone could read it.
Source
Biondi, Lee: The Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World: Exhibition Commemorative Book [Cashcor International Pte Ltd, 2009]
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