This past week I posted the question to our Facebook friends: “Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?” Here are some of the answers. London Bridge, state libraries, in my head, in the abandoned NIKE missile bay on Sandy Hook, the Netherlands and an archaeological dig at Mount Zion in Jerusalem. You can read a little more about these experiences on Facebook.
One of the interesting places I have been was the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland. Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968) was one of the greatest collectors of the twentieth century. There was a variety of collections but the collection that I remember the most were the religious manuscripts. He was committed to preserving texts for their historic value and that is how they were presented. You could not tell from looking at the displays if he had any religious preferences. Of the manuscripts the ones that made the greatest impression on me were his biblical papyri he acquired in the 1920s. He acquired fragments of many Old Testament books as well as New Testament books dating to the 3rd Century. To put that in a little bit of perspective we are looking at about 150 years after the New Testament books were originally written. I thought it was amazing to be viewing Scripture that early Christians read.
That second interesting place/event was similar and that was viewing the Dead Sea Scrolls. These were discovered between 1946 and 1956. These scrolls date from 3rd century BC and 1st century AD. About 40% of them are copies of texts from the canonical Hebrew Scriptures. I did not find any definitive information about how they ended up in the caves or when. But it was amazing to know that the people we read about in the New Testament may have read these very scrolls.
These scrolls and early books connect us with the early Christians. They also show us how God has protected His Word throughout the centuries. There are far more manuscripts available of the Bible than any other ancient writing. They validate the truth and inerrancy of Scripture. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:13 (NLT)
Robin
We will not be meeting July 9 and 16. I will be out of town.
Ladies: Have you ever prayed for wisdom? Join our Thursday morning Bible Study at 10am as we begin Discovering Wisdom in Proverbs. Books can be purchased through Amazon, Christian Book or Baker Book House.
Operation Christmas Child, item of the month: School supplies and clothing. Clothing includes socks, underwear, shoes, Tee shirts, sports bras, etc.
Please remember, they must fit in a shoebox and still have room for other items. Also, if you search for Operation Christmas Child on Amazon.com or WesternStarWholesale.com you will find LOTS of suggested purchases.
