Something ancient, lots news? This really is a summer of scholarly love for those long lost and much scrutinized Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient papyruses covered in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek writings that experts say date to somewhere between 150 BC and 70 AD. They contain some of the oldest known surviving and controversial copies of the Bible as well as religious commentaries on Jewish culture that flourished after the return from Babylonian exile. A Bruin archeologist recounts in a soon-to-be aired National Geographic special his dozen years of research on the documents, including his rare chance (shown at right) to read from the Isaiah scroll entombed in a vault beneath the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. In Exposition Park, meantime, Trojan researchers are recalling how they tapped modern technology to record a trove of rare scroll fragments in the surprising locale -- a white-trimmed, red brick church in Teaneck, N.J. For Southern Californians who want to see some of these archeological marvels and get more insight into their religious context, of course, the folks in Azusa have put up a major Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, which they have extended until the end of August.
From Azusa Pacific, Pacific Asia Museum, Southwestern Law & the Huntington
Because some schedule challenges with work may prevent Friday postings, just a little jump on the usual weekend roundup of stuff worth taking in.
Of course, for those who aren't tired of hearing about it already and who want to meet and learn more about the candidates seeking posts in the June 8 Superior Court races in LA County, well, get over to the historic Bullock's Wilshire building in Koreatown for a free, open, public forum starting at 5:30 this afternoon.
The marquee weekend event, much mentioned here and elsewhere, for those fascinated by Scripture, the Bible and other Christian writing will be the display in Azusa of various biblical 'treasures,' including fragments of the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls (as shown in photo at right). The exhibit, for which reserved tickets must be purchased, opens on Friday and runs through July 18.
In San Marino on Saturday, a major, traveling exhibit opens of American Arts and Crafts furniture artisan Charles Rohlfs. Curators say his complex, compelling creations (including some scroll work from one piece, as shown at left) put him in the fore of modernist design with such iconic figures as Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley. Because his work draws from such broad, varying traditions, however, Rohlfs has defied easy description and categorization, which has kept him out of wider public acclaim. This exhibit will be open until Sept. 6 when it closes and moves on to the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
In Pasadena, there will be a different lure on Saturday for fanciers of the arts and culture of Asia -- a chance to wolf down dumplings for a prize. They museum, in cooperation with the folks who run the Dumpling Station and its mobile kitchen in a dumpling truck (as seen in photo at right), will present a dumpling festival and contest. With music, drinks and games, those partaking of the program also can watch six hungry contestants try to eat 50 dumplings within two
minutes. The winner will receive a $50 VISA gift card, tee shirt and
Pacific Asia Museum membership.They're picking prospects from among a pool of folks who e-mail them to enter at: dumplingstation626@gmail.com.
In Southern California, where the abundant sunshine leads to a lot of skin showing and some legendary naughty behaviors, it's easy to forget the depth and breadth of religious conviction. But the area has some big things under way for Christians and those fascinated by the religion's holy works. In Malibu, faithful from 44 U.S. states and 22 nations will gather starting today for 282 classes as part of the three days of the school's 67th annual 'Bible Lectures,' sessions focused this year on a revisiting of the 'Book of Acts.' Running alongside of the lectures will be a display of rare Bibles, including a volume of the 'Saint John's Bible,' a first edition of the
Geneva Bible from 1560, the first Bible printed in a European language
in America from 1743, and leaves from medieval manuscript Bibles. There's a big build-up under way, of course, down over in AzusaOrange County for another scheduled exhibition of rare Bibles and fragments of the much written and argued about Dead Sea Scrolls. While we're at it, let's also mention the interesting scholarship back at Malibu that reminds just how widespread Christianity has become as a global religion.
