Strata: Special Collections

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. This new exhibition will present physical evidence of the Bible’s development before 1000. Some of the world’s earliest Biblical texts will be on display, including pages and fragments written in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian and Coptic. One of the many highlights of the exhibition will be portions of Charles Lang Freer’s fourth- and fifth-century Greek Old Testament manuscripts, known as the “Codex Washingtonensis.” By viewing the varied papyrus fragments, parchment pages, illuminated manuscripts and jeweled bindings, visitors will learn about who created these books, how Bibles were used in worship and how the book was transformed over hundreds of years. The exhibition is scheduled to coincide with the annual meetings of ASOR, SBL and NEAS this fall in Washington, DC.