By Matt Snider/Special to the Times-Review
BURLESON
November 21, 2008 12:13 pm
—
The Christian Heritage Foundation, based in Cleburne, held a public exhibition of most of its collection of Jewish Torah scrolls at the Chisenhall Community Center in Burleson on Sunday.
It was the first time the scrolls from the collection were exhibited outside their permanent home at the Christian Heritage Foundation headquarters building.
Charles Garrett, executive director of the foundation, said the exhibition, the first in what is hoped will be many such shows, was organized to begin an education process for Christians about the source documents that are the basis for the Jewish Bible, known as the Tanach, and to cultivate an appreciation and respect for Jews, their faith and Israel.
Mary Ann Mize, widow of the late Walter Mize, the founder of the Christian Heritage Foundation, welcomed visitors and guided them through the show.
“This was Walter’s dream,” she said “and I will do the best I can to promote that dream now.” Mize said. “Walter had finally reached a point in his life where he was able to devote his full attention and effort to realizing his dream. We visited Israel last year for the first time and he was even more convinced that this was what he was supposed to do.”
Mize died in January 2008.
The Jewish Bible comprises the Torah, the first five books of Moses, the Prophets and the Writings, consisting of Psalms, Proverbs, Job and other books.)
The term “Tanach” is the pronunciation of a Hebrew acrostic formed by the Hebrew letters for T, N and K, which stands for Torah, Nevi’im, or Prophets, and Ketuvim, or Writings.
Although the Jewish and Christian Bibles share virtually identical texts for the Old Testament, the arrangement and division of the Writings and the Prophets are slightly different. The Jewish Bible does not contain the books of the New Testament.
Dr. Joe Cathey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Godley and adjunct professor of Hebrew at Dallas Baptist University serves as a consultant to the Christian Heritage Foundation.
He was on hand to explain Jewish religious worship articles on display and answered questions about the archeological digs he has been on in Israel over the years.
“The foundation wanted to ensure that the display of sacred Jewish objects was conducted with the greatest respect towards Jews and the Jewish faith and explained in a proper, sensitive manner. Charles [Garrett] asked me to help with that,” Cathey said.
Also present at the exhibition was Gary Zimmerman, an independent Baptist missionary who acts as a curator of another set of scrolls on display in Glen Rose. He explained the details of each of the scrolls on display, their significance and the meaning of the various scroll accessories accompanying the scrolls that have religious symbolism.
The scrolls are on permanent display at the Christian Heritage Foundation building in Cleburne and can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The next traveling exhibition of the scrolls will be from 2-5 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Alvarado Senior Center.
No admission fee is charged and refreshments are served.
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