Ontario’s Minister of Culture, Aileen Carroll, was tossed out of cabinet today as part of a larger shuffle. She will now become a backbench member of the legislature.
The decision caught members of the media off-guard. The National Post said that, “Ms. Carroll's demotion is perhaps the most surprising. A former federal minister, the Barrie MPP was considered a high profile candidate in 2007.”
The Toronto Star writes that she may have made a decision not to run in the next general election. In Canadian politics it is not unusual for retiring ministers to get dumped from cabinet before they actually retire. Her replacement is going to be Michael Chan, who is moving from the Citizenship and Immigration post.
The Dead Sea Scrolls - which contain some of the earliest known Biblical writings - are among the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Some of these 2,000-year-old text fragments, awash with scientific, religious and cultural significance, will arrive at Minnesota's Science Museum as part of a major touring exhibition, giving visitors a chance to witness and reflect upon these famous artefacts first hand.
The Globe and Mail’s Patrick Martin (the paper’s former Middle East Correspondent), is reporting that Jordan is asking the Canadian government to seize the Dead Sea Scrolls on display in Toronto Canada.
“Summoning the Canadian chargé d'affaires in Amman two weeks ago, Jordan cited the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which both Jordan and Canada are signatories, in asking Canada to take custody of the scrolls,” said Martin.
At the corner of Bloor and Queens Park a security guard uses a blow-horn to yell out a warning – the line-up to see the Ten Commandments is very long and there’s no guarantee you will get to see it.
For those who don’t have a membership at the Royal Ontario Museum, but want to see the commandments anyways, the line starts here, at this Toronto street intersection. Despite a sizable lobby the museum simply isn’t big enough to contain the people who want to buy a ticket this Saturday afternoon (Oct. 17).
I get to skip this particular line since I have a membership.
The Israel Antiquities Authority has released a high-resolution image of a 2,000 year old copy of the 10 commandments.
The scroll itself will be going on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto Canada, from October 10 – 18, to see a larger version of it click on the image to the right. It runs concurrently with a Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit that is taking place at the museum.
A translation is below.
*NOTE in this scroll the verses from Deuteronomy 8 precede those of Deuteronomy 5 (the verse where the 10 commandments are listed). The translation that I’ve received starts at Deuteronomy 5.
Starting this Saturday, the second oldest copy of the Ten Commandments will go on display, at the Royal Ontario Museum, for 80 hours only. The exhibit will run from October 10 to October 18.
The Israel Antiquities Authority has been very cautious about how much light it gets exposed to – which is the reason why it is only going to be put on display for 80 hours.
“Damage due to light is accumulative and it just gets worse and worse,” said Dan Rahimi, an archaeologist and Vice-President of Gallery Development for the Royal Ontario Musuem.
The museum is going to be displaying it under lighting that is “equivalent to the light of a candle.” You will still be able to see the text since the light outside the display case will be turned down so that the scroll will appear bright.
The exhibition will feature the recently discovered Jeselsohn Stone, which only came to light recently.
The stone is estimated to be about 2,000 years old. It was acquired by a collector, David Jeselsohn, about 10 years ago. Where it was found is unknown, although Jordan has been suggested as a probable location.
It’s partially legible and, as such, only chunks of the inscription can be made out. It appears to be written by someone named Gabriel (it has the words “I Gabriel” on it) and talks about the apocalypse (a common topic in religious texts of the time).
Part of the text reads (from a translation by Ada Yardeni):
The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum, in Wisconsin, will feature a a display of the Jeselsohn Stone, a fragment of the copper scroll (a scroll fragment made of copper which has a list of hidden treasures), and several other fragments that have not yet been announced. It will also feature New Testament papyri from Egypt, several medieval bibles and a 23 foot reproduction of the Isaiah scroll. The exhibit is temporary and will start in January 22, 2010. End date is June 6th 2010.
The Jeselsohn Stone is estimated to be about 2,000 years old. It was acquired by David Jeselsohn, a collector, about 10 years ago. Where it was found is unknown, although Jordan has been suggested as a probable location.
It’s written in Biblical Hebrew but only parts of the text are legible. It contains the words “I Gabriel,” which means that the text was probably written by someone with that name. It talks about the apocalypse, a common subject for religious texts.
Part of the text reads (from a translation by Ada Yardeni):
[Thus] said YHWH, the Lord of Israel: Behold, all the nations are
14. … against(?)\to(?) Jerusalem and …,
15. [o]ne, two, three, fourty(?) prophets(?) and the returners(?),
16. [and] the Hasidin(?). My servant, David, asked from before Ephraim(?)
17. [to?] put the sign(?) I ask from you. Because He said, (namely,)
18. [Y]HWH of Hosts, the Lord of Israel: …
19. sanctity(?)\sanctify(?) Israel! In three days you shall know, that(?)\for(?) He said,
20. (namely,) YHWH the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Israel: The evil broke (down)
21. before justice. Ask me and I will tell you what this bad plant is
Ontario’s Minister of Culture, Aileen Carroll, was tossed out of cabinet today as part of a 
The Globe and Mail’s 
Starting this Saturday, the second oldest copy of the Ten Commandments will go on display, at the 
The 
