Ancient Bible scrolls to go on exhibit at New Jerusalem House of Prayer
An exhibit of the most ancient scrolls of the three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, will be held for two days, Sept. 9-10.
It will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. at New Jerusalem House of Prayer, 100 Wycliffe Drive in West Chicago, easily accessible from Route 59 off Joliet Street, about 3 miles north of Route 88. Admission is free.
These are ancient scrolls written in Hebrew, of the entire Old Testament or Tanakh, including several Torah scrolls from Ashkenazi and Sephardic sources, as well as a complete collection of the Writings and the Prophets.
Most of the scrolls are over 250 years old, and some are over 600 years in age. They have been collected from all over the world, including Israel, Poland, Iraq, Morocco and Russia, among others.
There will be experts present to help explain what these scrolls are, and how they were made and the materials and techniques that were used.
This is the only complete collection open to the public and the first time it has been exhibited in Illinois. Students and classes are also welcome. It is a once-in-lifetime opportunity.
Special talks by Omer Eshel, former Israeli General Counsel for Tourism, will be offered on Monday only. He will speak on "What the Scrolls Reveal about Life in Ancient Israel and Judah" at 6:30 p.m.
Charles Garret, curator of the scrolls, will speak on "In Search of Ancient Scrolls - How the Scrolls Were Found and Curated" at 5 p.m. both Sunday and Monday.
Gary G. Perras, a Conservative rabbi in Florida, said "This exhibit speaks for itself without any attempt to convert anyone to any faith. If anyone has any questions, they are invited to ask them, and they will receive a good answer. Rabbis in the community are welcome to attend and add any additional comment they deem proper. The reviews from our own congregation and from the community-at-large were glowing. I highly recommend this exhibit."
New Jerusalem House of Prayer is a congregation of Jews, Christians, seekers (and mixed families) who worship and study together irrespective of background or denomination. To learn more, go to NewJerusalem.info or call (630) 231-1775.