NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
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Codex Vaticanus (Facsimile) Early 4th Century A.D., Greek
Gift of the late Dr. Thomas Messer, Sr. and Mary Wheeler Messer
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King James Bible
A.D. 1617, English, 3d. ed.
Funded by Dr. Thomas Messer, Jr. and Carol Messer
Preserving Biblical History. Fostering Textual Scholarship. Honoring God’s Word. Museum established in honor of Janet M. Whitehead, beloved wife and mother, by Robert M. Whitehead
The Museum of the Bible and Archaeology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a collaborative effort of the John T. Christian Library, the H. Milton Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies, the Moskau Institute of Archaeology, and the Center for Archaeological Research. The museum, housed on the second floor Hardin Student Center, relates how the biblical text was transmitted, copied, printed and preserved throughout the centuries and how the current English Bible translations were developed. Artifacts from Bible lands provide insights into the context in which the Bible was written. The displays offers students, faculty, church groups and friends of NOBTS the opportunity to experience rare early Bibles, copies of early manuscripts, and ancient artifacts.
Encouragement for the Church and Students of the Bible The Museum is a great asset for NOBTS, the Southern Baptist Convention, local churches, and individual believers. We hope the museum’s presentations and displays will encourage the church and inspire generations of believers to study and treasure God’s Word. Now is the time to insure the preservation of these priceless Bibles, documents and artifacts. Now is the time to foster increased biblical research and scholarship.
The John T. Christian Bible Collection Many of the Latin and English Bibles in the collection were donated to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary by noted church historian and early professor John T. Christian in 1925. Christian, for whom the seminary library is named, gave more than 15,000 volumes to the seminary (Baptist Bible Institute at the time) including numerous rare Bibles, Reformation-era works, and early Baptist pamphlets. An original leaf from the Gutenberg Bible was purchased for the school by former librarian Nelle Davidson in the 1950s. Another important library holding is the Hebrew scroll of Esther which dates to the late 16th Century A.D.
i The Haggard Center Bible Collection The Haggard Center holds many important facsimile copies of early Greek manuscripts and Bibles, as well as three Hebrew Torah leafs. The Haggard Center’s Bible facsimiles utilize highresolution, full color photographs of each page of the original document. From the wrinkles and holes in the pages to the colors of the parchment and the ink, the photographs preserve all the details and characteristics of biblical manuscripts. In April 2000, Dr. Thomas Messer and his wife, Mary Wheeler Messer, donated a detailed reproduction of the Codex Vaticanus to the Haggard Center. In 2011, Dr. Milburn Calhoun and his wife, Nancy, donated a facsimile of the Codex Sinaiticus to the Center. In total, the Center has more than 1200 New Testament manuscripts in digital, facsimile, microfilm, or print forms. The Center has access to many more manuscripts through collaborative agreements.
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Lorsch Gospels (Facsimile) A.D. 810, Latin LEFT
Gutenberg Bible Leaf A.D. 1455, Latin
Purchased by former NOBTS librarian Nelle Davidson
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Codex Sinaiticus (Facsimile) 4th Century A.D., Greek
Gift of Mrs. Nancy Calhoun and the late Dr. Milburn Calhoun
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Geneva Bible
A.D. 1562, English
Significant Bible Holdings Original Works Gutenberg Leaf (c. 1455) Geneva Bibles (1562 & 1600) Bishops’ Bible (1588) Esther Manuscript (17th C.)
Important Bible Facsimiles Codex Vaticanus (early 4th C.) Codex Sinaiticus (mid 4th C.) Codex Alexandrinus (early 5th C.) Petropolitanus Purpureus (6th C.)
Bible Holdings by Century 15th Century
One leaf and a partial NT
16th Century Four Bibles
17th Century
12 whole and partial Bibles and a Hebrew manuscript
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18th Century
Five whole Bibles, Five NTs
19th Century
24 whole and partial Bibles and three Hebrew Torah scroll leafs 1200+ NT Manuscripts via digital images (2nd - 16th centuries)
Esther Scroll (Manuscript), c. 16th Century A.D., Hebrew
The Artifact Collection of the Moskau Institute and the Center for Archaeological Research The Moskau Institute of Archaeology, currently involved in an archaeological excavation at Tel Gezer, seeks to understand the context in which the Bible was written through the ancient material culture. The Moskau Institute and the Center for Archaeological Research hold numerous artifacts gathered at excavations at Aphek-Antipatris, Gezer, Malhata and Timnah in Israel, as well as donated items. The artifact collection includes pottery from the Chalcolithic period, the Late Bronze and Iron Age; Cuneiform tablets from the Bronze Age; Roman glass; zoomorphic cult vessels; and Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman period oil lamps. The archaeological collection consists of three major components: authentic, museum-quality artifacts for display; commercially produced reproductions of well-known artifacts; and a study/ research collection consisting of representative Syro-Palestine sherds designed for use in the teaching.
Significant Artifact Holdings Hand-formed Cups Chalcolithic, c. 4000-3100 B.C.
Philistine Strainer Jug Iron Age, c. 1200-1000 B.C.
Cypriot “Milk Bowl� Pottery Late Bronze Age, c. 1550-1200 B.C.
Four-handle Krater Iron Age, c. 1000-900 B.C.
Flask Iron Age, c. 1300-1000 B.C.
Roman Glass c. 1st Century B.C. - 1st Century A.D.
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Zoomorphic Vessel
Late Bronze Age - Iron Age c. 1550-1000 B.C.
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Cuneiform Tablets
Mesopotamia, c. 3200-1000 B.C. Gift of the late Dr. Thomas Messer, Sr. and Mary Wheeler Messer
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Textual Scholarship
Matt Solomon, managing director of the museum, reviews a manuscript in the Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies. LEFT
Archaeology Research
A dig volunteer marks pottery samples at the Tel Gezer Water System excavation in Israel.
Preservation, Display, and Enjoyment New Orleans Seminary is committed to the preservation of the Bibles, documents, and artifacts trusted to the school’s care. Staffers at the museum uphold the highest standards for the storage and display of these items. Preserving these items for study, display, use and enjoyment for current and future generations is our top priority.
i Research and Scholarship NOBTS is deeply involved in biblical research and scholarship. In 2010, the Haggard Center completed the world’s first comprehensive, searchable, electronic variant database for the New Testament – a vital tool for research. The database has been used in Accordance Bible Software, BibleWorks Software, and Logos Software. The Haggard Center also creates replica New Testament papyri for study and display. The Museum of the Bible and Archaeology will foster increased scholarly activity and help draw top scholars to the campus for research and academic study. The outstanding ancient artifacts not only enhance research for the students in the seminary’s Master of Arts (Biblical Archaeology) program, the museum is essential for the Moskau Institute’s continued involvement in biblical archaeology in Israel. Display space for artifacts is one of the key requirements for schools seeking to acquire an excavation permit from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
How to Get Involved • Bring a church or school group to tour the museum • Promote the museum to churches and friends • Donate for the furtherance of the Museum and its holdings • Donate for the long-term financial stability of the museum • Donate to the archaeological field work sponsored by NOBTS • Donate for student archaeology scholarships • Donate to the textual work sponsored by NOBTS • Donate for student scholarships & fellowships in textual studies Want to help sustain and enhance the work of the Museum of the Bible and Archaeology at NOBTS? Contact the Office for Institutional Advancement at (800) 662-8701, ext. 3252.
Second Floor, Hardin Student Center 3939 Gentilly Blvd • New Orleans, LA 70126 (504) 816.8190 • ntsec@nobts.edu www.nobts.edu/CNTTS/archaeology-museum.html