From: Phil deHaan (dehp@calvin.edu)
Date: Tue Dec 10 2002 - 10:52:18 EST
December 10, 2002 == MEDIA ADVISORY
A pair of Calvin professors and a pair of Calvin alumni have a special interest
in the upcoming Dead Seas Scrolls exhibit at the Van Andel Museum in Grand
Rapids.
Religion and theology professors Dr. Ken Pomykala and Dr. Daniel Harlow will
join former Calvin Theological Seminary professor Dr. Bastiaan VanElderen and
University of Notre Dame professor Dr. James VanderKam in leading a Calvin
Around Town event at the Museum on February 20 (just four days after the
official February 16 opening of the exhibit).
Calvin expects over 1,000 people to attend the already-sold-out event which
will include tours of the Dead Seas Scrolls exhibit and presentations by the
four professors.
VanElderen, a 1949 graduate of Calvin, helped the Museum land the exhibit,
which will make its only scheduled U.S. appearance in 2003 in Grand Rapids (the
scrolls are rarely exhibited outside of Israel). VanderKam, a 1968 Calvin
graduate, is considered one of the world's foremost scrolls scholars. Harlow
studied with VanderKam at Notre Dame and Pomykala, a 1976 Calvin graduate, is an
expert on early Judaism.
All four scrolls scholars are excited about the upcoming exhibit. The scrolls
were found in 1947 and are a thousand years older than the oldest surviving
Biblical texts. Dr. VanElderen has often visited the caves where the scrolls
were found and, over the years, developed a strong relationship with Emanuel
Tov, the Israeli scholar who edits publication of the scrolls.
In fact VanElderen is leading the planning of an academic conference slated for
Grand Rapids from March 31-April 2 at which Emanuel Tov will be honored. The
conference will begin with a banquet in honor of Tov and will feature tributes
from his associates. Tov will deliver the opening address of the conference and
then leading scholars in Dead Sea Scrolls research will present papers and
participate in panel discussions on various aspects of Tov's contributions to
Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship and the future of the field.
Dr. Bert de Vries, a history professor at Calvin, and Dr. John Witvliet,
director of Calvin's Worship Institute, will participate in the conference.
Contacts:
Bastiaan Van Elderen, 616-957-0876
Daniel Harlow, 616-957-6538
Ken Pomykala, 616-957-6320
Bert de Vries, 616-957-6273
John Witvliet, 616-957-6806
For more info on the Calvin Around Town program see
http://www.calvin.edu/alumni/chapters/michigan/grand_rapids/cat/
That link includes a link to the official Van Andel Museum website.
-end-
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