Hanover Park exhibit traces history of Bible
Tucked away on Barrington Road in Hanover Park, the small Tabernacle Baptist Church gave way recently to a major collection of Bible artifacts, dating back to the time that Jesus lived.
The Rev. David Brown, of Oak Creek, Wis., brought the rare exhibit to the congregation, as the centerpiece of a one-day conference called, "The History of the Bible."
What started in the vestibule with representations of all of the English Reformation Bibles, from 1526 to 1611, spilled into the sanctuary, with handwritten manuscripts, pieces of historic clay tablets, samples of ancient Greek texts, and Medieval Latin manuscripts.
A table near the altar featured representations from the 30 pieces of silver that Judas sold to betray Jesus, as well as leaves of papyrus and parchment pieces that the early Bible would have been written on, Brown said.
He also has a copy of the Vatican manuscript of the Bible, recorded in columns on 759 leaves of papyrus, written in the third century.
"It's just awesome to be able to see so many historic things," declares Ollie Mella of Streamwood, "awesome."
Its rare artifacts drew congregation members of all ages, even children, to examine them, and listen to the presentation on the history of the English Bible.
"I just love learning about ancient Rome," said 14-year old Jewel Beckett of Elk Grove Village. "It's just fascinating to see things that are actually from that time period, from the time when Jesus lived."
Others, like B. J. Escareno of Lake Zurich, liked the tangible pieces of the exhibit, including Judas' silver pieces.
"I like the silver coins," the youngster said. "They're really old."
The Rev. Matthew Black, pastor, welcomed Brown, and said that his visit underscored the congregation's commitment to the Bible.
"Everyone in our congregation has a Bible, or three our four, but they don't know about its history," Black says. "This lets them see how precious the Bible is."
Black describes his congregation as something of a "country church" where everyone knows one another by name. The faith community draws worshippers from as close as Streamwood and Hanover Park, to as far as Geneva, Wheaton and Lemont.
Brown leads a Baptist congregation in suburban Milwaukee, but he also serves as assistant curator for the Ink & Blood Bible History Museum in Nashville, and he has been touring the country with pieces from this rare display for the last 12 years.
He dates his own fascination with the Bible's history back to his days in college and the seminary, which ultimately led him to travel in Europe, in search of historic Biblical sites, including such places as the caves under Jerusalem, where Jerome is believed to have first translated the Bible from Greek into Latin.
"Most of these Bibles would be under glass in a museum, and people would never be able to get this close to them," Brown says. "I want people to know the English Bible, and its history."