Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

Bagels and Jesus in Atlanta
Monday, June 18, 2007

The AJC runs this review of the "Cradle of Christianity" exhibition at Emory. And a reminder, I'll be giving a talk next Tuesday at Atlanta in association with the show.

"Cradle of Christianity," which opens today at the Carlos Museum, traces the live of Jesus and the evolution and growth of Christianity in the Holy Land. Like bagels, however, this fascinating archaeological exhibition should appeal to everyone.

It is, in fact, an interfaith moment. The larger goal of the Israel Museum, which organized the exhibition, is to demonstrate the shared history of Judaism and Christianity. Jesus and his disciples were Jews, after all. At the outset, they were among many sects under one umbrella.

Israel Museum director James Snyder sees the two religions as fellow travelers on the road of monotheism whose routes begin together, run parallel and diverge. The Carlos will elaborate on that perspective with a complement of programs during "Cradle of Christianity's" run, through Oct. 14.

The exhibit's ecumenical aims notwithstanding, the objects on view are interesting, even thrilling, in their own right. The yellowed parchment from a Dead Sea Scroll dating to the first century B.C. and a fragment from the Second Temple (destroyed in A.D. 70) are among the rare artifacts on display.

So are the only three known objects that correlate with people and events during Jesus' life, and they are here. Two confirm the existence of Pontius Pilate and Joseph Caiaphas, the priest said to have helped engineer Jesus' crucifixion. The third, an anklebone with an embedded nail, is evidence of the use of crucifixion.

Labels: Interfaith Relations

Posted by B Feiler at 12:27 PM
Permalink Digg this Post Email this Post

0 Comments: