by Jonathan Redding, PhD Candidate’17 Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel
In the spring 2016, the students studying Hebrew Bible from the Vanderbilt University Graduate Department of Religion visited Princeton, New Jersey to explore the Princeton Theological Seminary library archives. Below are pictures of some beautiful old bibles, along with the Bible Dietrich Bonhoeffer used when teaching in secret to avoid Nazi imprisonment. It was a wonderful trip, and we look forward to sharing more about our program in the future!
Bonhoffer Bible- This is the Bible world-renowned theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer used when he taught theology in secret during the Nazi Germany regime. His students gave him this Bible as a gift, celebrating and thanking him as teacher; they each signed their names to the inside cover.
Another shot of the Bonhoffer Bible. Note the crosses by certain names. Bonhoffer put those there any time a student was captured, taken away to Nazi labor camps, and were killed.
Note the detailed color drawing at the top of the page; along with aesthetic reasons, this was done to provide an overview of what each book contains given low literacy rates before the Enlightenment.
Centuries old bibles; we have to get permission to look at them, much less touch them.
The words in the center are the biblical text, and the surrounding works are commentary and insight provided by the translators and interpreters
Drawing from a book depicting the apocalypse
Another image depicting the apocalypse
Hebrew Bible, composed in 1546
Jacob’s Ladder
Pharaoh dreaming before Joseph is retained to interpret
Tower of Babel
Noah’s Ark
Hebrew grammar dictionary
Hebrew grammar displaying a “How To” on writing Hebrew characters and what they mean
Professor C.L. Seow and student Serena Jarvis look through one of the oldest Hebrew grammars made for English students. The grammar also included a Hebrew to English dictionary.
The trip went exceptionally well, and the Hebrew Bible cohort consulted a variety of texts and academic tools. Work completed on this trip will contribute to future projects for these Vanderbilt students, both in and out of the classroom. We are working to continue the active and vibrant tradition of biblical scholarship Vanderbilt has long been known for; we look forward to sharing what comes next!
