Salty Lake Books
A couple of weeks ago I turned 27 and decided to celebrate my birth by going on a date with my wife to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. While this might not seem like the most celebratory event in the world, it made sense seeing as though tickets to the exhibit were $20 per person. That's a tad more than the Dashiells spend on most of their entertainment outings, so we decided to have a theological birthday bash. Holla at ya' boy.
While some people find it funny that this particular outing was my birthday outing of choice, it is even funnier when it stands as a perfect dichotomy against what we did for my 25th birthday. That was the year where I lobbied for a Chuck E. Cheese throwback celebration and my wife responded with an all out bash including a cake and tokens. Nothing like seeing your 25 year old husband called up to the stage to dance around with all the little kids while Chuck and the gang serenade them. Lest you think that I've been overcome by a sudden dose of maturity over the past two years, fear not. It just so happens that the parts of me that are way deep and serious can harmoniously coexist with the parts that scream inner child.
So back to the scrolls. For those who aren't totally up on their biblical archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of biblical manuscripts that date back to about the time of Christ. They contain copies of just about ever book in the Hebrew Bible (what many Christians have dubbed the "Old Testament") as well as some other ancient commentaries and apocryphal books. They are considered national treasures by Israel, and are some of the most (if not THE most) valuable relic for both Jews and Christians.
If you happen to be in KC between now and May I totally advise you to plop down the twenty dolla bill and check out the exhibit. The two things that struck me going away included:
1. There's just something reassuring in knowing that the biblical manuscripts that Jesus read from are consistent with the ones we read from today. It would be really deflating had they found these scrolls and realized that significant editing had taken place between then and now. It shows how important these texts have been throughout history that people have been so diligent as to copy them down perfectly and study them carefully.
2. The group that made the scrolls were really hard core. Historians have had to piece together their story, so they don't know every exact detail of their lifestyle. What they do know, however is that these people took their spiritual lives so seriously that their very existence was focused around remaining as pure as possible. While I do not subscribe to the notion that God wants us to withdraw from society and make up holy sects, it is amazing to look at how seriously some people take their faith and to what lengths they will go to to draw near to God.
Any suggestions as to what I should do next year for my birthday?
Fair Dinkum
While some people find it funny that this particular outing was my birthday outing of choice, it is even funnier when it stands as a perfect dichotomy against what we did for my 25th birthday. That was the year where I lobbied for a Chuck E. Cheese throwback celebration and my wife responded with an all out bash including a cake and tokens. Nothing like seeing your 25 year old husband called up to the stage to dance around with all the little kids while Chuck and the gang serenade them. Lest you think that I've been overcome by a sudden dose of maturity over the past two years, fear not. It just so happens that the parts of me that are way deep and serious can harmoniously coexist with the parts that scream inner child.
So back to the scrolls. For those who aren't totally up on their biblical archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of biblical manuscripts that date back to about the time of Christ. They contain copies of just about ever book in the Hebrew Bible (what many Christians have dubbed the "Old Testament") as well as some other ancient commentaries and apocryphal books. They are considered national treasures by Israel, and are some of the most (if not THE most) valuable relic for both Jews and Christians.
If you happen to be in KC between now and May I totally advise you to plop down the twenty dolla bill and check out the exhibit. The two things that struck me going away included:
1. There's just something reassuring in knowing that the biblical manuscripts that Jesus read from are consistent with the ones we read from today. It would be really deflating had they found these scrolls and realized that significant editing had taken place between then and now. It shows how important these texts have been throughout history that people have been so diligent as to copy them down perfectly and study them carefully.
2. The group that made the scrolls were really hard core. Historians have had to piece together their story, so they don't know every exact detail of their lifestyle. What they do know, however is that these people took their spiritual lives so seriously that their very existence was focused around remaining as pure as possible. While I do not subscribe to the notion that God wants us to withdraw from society and make up holy sects, it is amazing to look at how seriously some people take their faith and to what lengths they will go to to draw near to God.
Any suggestions as to what I should do next year for my birthday?
Fair Dinkum