Inspiring Artifact: "Third oldest Bible" Now on Display in Washington, DC

Aimee Herd : Jan 14, 2014
ChristianNews.net

"…consider the fact that there are only three to four centuries since the life of Jesus Christ and the creation of Codex Washingtonianus."

(Washington, DC)—Right now, on display at a museum in Washington, DC, is what is being called the "third oldest Bible in the world," according to a Christian News report.

The Bible has a painted wooden cover, with almost 200 parchment pages, and is reportedly more than 1,500-years-old.

It features the four Gospels in Greek, and is known as the "Codex Washingtonianus," or the "Washington Gospels."

According to a National Geographic article on the Codex' history, "Roman authorities persecuted Christian churches and their congregation… The two scribes who transcribed the Washingtonianus likely copied from fragments of several Bibles—remnants perhaps from an attack on a Christian church."

The Codex Washingtonianus was first brought to the US more than 100 years ago, by Charles Lang Freer, of Detroit, who reportedly bought the ancient book while on a trip to Egypt.

It was first displayed in 1912, and is now on display again, along with some of Freer's collection of artwork.

A statement by the Freer Gallery of Art notes, "While Freer was interested in [other Biblical] scholarship, he was foremost a connoisseur intrigued by the beauty and mystery of [the Codex Washingtonianus and the Deuteronomy and Joshua manuscript]. This installation returns the Washington manuscripts to the aesthetic context in which Freer most fully appreciated them—in a masterpiece of decoration where 'all works of art go together, whatever their origins.'"

The Codex will be on display only until February 16th, 2014, due to the light-sensitivity of the manuscripts' pages.

According to the report, Aaron Kraft, pastor of Franconia Baptist Church in Virginia, is urging fellow Believers to visit the display, saying that they should "consider the fact that there are only three to four centuries since the life of Jesus Christ and the creation of Codex Washingtonianus."

"My faith isn't based on the existence of this artifact, but it is certainly strengthened by it. Take advantage of such a rich treasure being located right here in our backyard," added Kraft.

To read more about the Codex Washingtonianus, Click Here.