Summary: A new course will allow Thinkers to encounter a different manuscript each week to discover how modern advancements are allowing for progress in biblical text analysis.
So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. – Nehemiah 8:2 (ESV)
Hebrew Bible Worth Millions
In May 2023, an 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible known as the Codex Sassoon sold at auction for an astounding $38 million. Other manuscripts selling at comparable prices have included a rare copy of the U.S. constitution, which sold for $43 million in 2021 and Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester (Codex Hammer) that sold for $31 million in 1994.
But there’s something that makes the Hebrew Bible special. According to Sotheby’s auction house representative Sharon Liberman Mintz, the high valuation of Sassoon “reflects the profound power, influence, and significance of the Hebrew Bible, which is an indispensable pillar of humanity” (Associated Press). And in this case, Codex Sassoon ranks at the top with the Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex in terms of its importance for the study of the Hebrew Bible.
So what does the study of ancient or even medieval biblical manuscripts tell us about the reliability of the Bible? What are the clues in a biblical manuscript that clue researchers about the date and place of their origin? What processes or methods do researchers use to determine their relevance or value for textual history, or even whether the manuscript is authentic or a forgery? To answer these and many other questions, we are excited to announce a new course for Patterns of Evidence subscribers!
New Course on Bible Scrolls and Manuscripts
In September 2023, a special promotional course entitled, “Introduction to Old Testament Scrolls and Manuscripts” will be offered via ZOOM by the Brookes Bible College in St. Louis to celebrate the launch of its new European and African studies programs.
The course will engage online learners with actual biblical manuscripts currently held by the MIKRA Research Laboratory to show how a manuscript’s material features, textual markers, and typology allow for dating and localization. Additionally, the ways these practical, material interests intersect with theological concerns will be explored.
In this dynamic course, the student will be introduced to a new manuscript most weeks straight from the MIKRA Research Laboratory, and will learn how the disciplines of codicology, biblical introduction, textual criticism, bibliology (including: inspiration, inerrancy, textual transmission, preservation, sufficiency) relate and how modern advancements are allowing for progress in these disciplines.
Students will be delighted to learn how human copyists have cooperated with divine providence in the work of ensuring the faithful, reliable transmission and preservation of Scripture, as well as how modern technologies continue to advance the field of biblical studies.
He read from it before the square which was in front of athe Water Gate from 1early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. – Nehemiah 8:3
Course Details
Cost: The course is available at no charge to Thinkers and Patterns of Evidence supporters, but seating is limited and similar courses have reached capacity quickly. This course will not be recorded and is not scheduled to be offered again in the future.
Instructor: Dr. R. Brian Rickett – Professor of Bible & Apologetics and the Dean of Online Education
Schedule:
Days: Tuesdays (Weekly); 1:00-3:00PM (CT) Zoom Classroom 1
Dates: Sep. 11, 2023 – Dec. 18, 2023 (Euro Schedule)
Registration: To register, visit the course registration page located at this link.
Other ZOOM courses available for fall 2023 include the following (check start and stop dates to confirm):
– Advanced Hebrew, with Dr. R. Brian Rickett (US schedule)
– Ancient History, with Dr. Douglas Petrovich (US schedule)
– Problems Women Face Today, with Prof. Janet L. Rickett (US schedule)
– Marriage and Family Counseling, with Dr. Sybrand de Swardt (Euro-African schedule)
Conclusion
Brian Rickett is the CEO, Principal Researcher, and lecturer for the MIKRA Research Laboratory, a limited liability research conservancy engaging in artifact analysis, education, research technologies development, and public exhibitions of artifacts. At MIKRA, textual artifacts merge with innovative research technologies to bring ancient wisdom to a contemporary world. Brian is also Professor of Bible & Apologetics and the Dean of Online Education at Brookes Bible College.
