I am bumping this thread with a new piece that I wrote for the
LA Review of Books blog,
Marginalia:
https://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.org/gleanings-from-the-cave-of-wonders/
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kipp Davis
[The] strong predilection in the private collections for “biblical” texts is no accident: Schøyen, MOTB, and other institutions like APU and SWBTS have been ravaging antiquities markets, and they all enter with their own agendas and expectations intact. Their extravagant spending habits are guided by a strong, overarching theological interest in the text and formation of the Bible. They aim to produce eclectic collections of artefacts that project quite a specific narrative about the bible’s truth and reliability. For example, SWBTS acquired fragments in 2009–2010, which they featured in a public exhibition in 2012. Their collection includes an especially unusual fragment containing four lines of text that preserves parts of Leviticus 20:24 and 18:28-30 subsequently, in that order. The second passage stems from a notorious proscription against homosexuality, widely regarded as a significant theological touchstone by many Evangelical Christians. Bruce McCoy, the director of the Seminary’s exhibition said in a 2013 interview that this fragment commanded an especially high purchase price precisely because “the particular passage is a timeless truth from God’s word to the global culture today.” This is a special case, but it illustrates an important reality in today’s market for “biblical antiquities”: private collectors are willing and able to pay exorbitant costs to own even small scraps of the history of the Bible, and they are willing to pay an even higher price for fragments that refer to touchstones of contemporary political debates. Furthermore, some believe that their philanthropic endeavors satisfy a confessional directive to ensure and promote the integrity of the Bible.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kipp Davis
If there is one thing that the post-2002 DSS fragments have in common, it is the symbiotic relationship they represent that is forged between religiously motivated private collectors and desperate and eager scholars as they endeavor together to preserve and enrich a shared cultural heritage.
How fragile.
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Be sure to check out the other two articles in this forum, with more to come in the next few months.
https://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.o...stories-forum/