Photo By Staci Dunston | A Hebrew Scroll showing the meticulous detail scribes took to recreate from the...... read more read more
NAS JRB FORT WORTH, TEXAS—The Robert P. Taylor Chapel of Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth hosted a presentation on the Ancient Hebrew Scrolls from the Christian Heritage Foundation (CHF) on Sunday, January 7, 2024. This occasion allowed military personnel along with their families, friends and neighbors to not only witness these ancient scrolls but learn about the rich history behind them. This experience provided an opportunity for some individuals that potentially never would have happened if it wasn’t for the collaboration between the Chapel and the CHF.
Chaplain Phillip Ross has a working relationship with CHF and has seen their exhibits before in various churches and community centers. He reached out to Ted Vanlandeghem of CHF to see if they could do something unique on the base by providing a display of the scrolls. Vanlandeghem is a retired United States Air Force Senior Master Sgt and has a love for our military. “We thought this experience would be a fun way to connect with those that serve on the JRB base. The scrolls are fascinating because they carry a strong historical and religious value,” said Ross.
Chaplain Bradley Spear provided his impression on why bringing the scrolls to the chapel was a multipurpose ambition. “The mindset to bring them here was outreach. It’s a passion for us, as believers, God has called us to serve. Because of the historical significance, we might draw certain people because they’re passionate about history, not necessarily religion. The scrolls have a rich history of their own. People of faith and different religious backgrounds would be drawn too. This could bring two communities together that may have never socialized before.”
Founded in 1982 by Walter G. Mize and his wife, the CHF is centered around benevolence, evangelism and outreach. According to the CHF’’s website, their purpose is ‘a dedication to encouraging and supporting the Churches of Johnson County, so that a concentrated effort can be made to tell the story of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.’ The Ancient Hebrew Scrolls are a large part of their foundation, a way to reach the population whether it’s historical or faith based.
“These are not the only scrolls like these,” Ross explained, “They are one of thousands of copies but what is unique here is that CHF has an entire collection of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) together on display. The Hebrew Bible was the bedrock of the Bible and has impacted all societies that fall within a Judeo-Christian framework. This is the only complete set that travels, where the other five sets of the entire Hebrew Bible stored together in one setting are on display in museums throughout the world.”
Spear explained the process of creating the scrolls and their authenticity. “We have enough historical data to compare them to 2,000 year old scrolls to show that they are identical. For example, the Torah would take a scribe about 18 months to reproduce. At the end of copying it, they count the letters and spaces for authenticity. Then they give it to a senior scribe to count and authenticate. It’s over 300,000 letters and spaces. That is done three times. They’re not allowed to make any major corrections. This gives us confidence that these are accurate and from the original author,” he said. “One of the scrolls came from a school in Poland. Nazi soldiers tried to destroy it which is why there are rips and tears in it. The school teacher risked her life while saving them and hid them for many years. It stayed in her family for a generation and then was obtained by the CHF. This scroll survived, giving credence to the enduring word of God. It also shows the mindset of the scribes that recreated these, a generational mindset. They used ink that would last, tanned animal skins instead of papyrus. The robustness of the hide is why they can stand the test of time.”
Approximately 110 people attended the event, leading some to stand in the halls listening to the presentation. “You could almost feel the respect in the room when people walked in. It was an overwhelming feeling for me,” said Spear. “Our fellowship hall is commonly used for meetings and trainings, and then to see the scrolls displayed changed the atmosphere to a place of reverence.”
Chaplain Ross added, “I was in awe and respect! It’s amazing that a document that was written over the course of a 2,000 year period by many different authors from a number of socio-cultural backgrounds could write something and then have it preserved together so well. The toil and dedication that these people went through in order to preserve what they saw as Divine communication is amazing!”
For more information on the Christian Heritage Foundation of Ancient Hebrew Scroll Project, visit their website. www.thechristianheritagefoundation.com
NAS JRB Fort Worth is the first and finest joint reserve base, known for training and equipping air crews and aviation ground support personnel, while supporting missions such as airlift, aerial refueling, and global mobility, making it an integral part of national defense infrastructure.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2024 10:53 |
| Story ID: | 462859 |
| Location: | FORT WORTH, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ancient Hebrew Scrolls displayed at NAS JRB Fort Worth Chapel, by Staci Dunston, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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