Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies to Host "Biblical Archaeology Showcase"

The University of Hartford’s Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies will hold a “Biblical Archaeology Showcase” featuring the Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Dr. Adolfo Roitman, and University of Hartford lecturer in Arabic Language and Culture, Hazza Abu Rabia, on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 1:30 p.m., in Mali I Auditorium, in Dana Hall on the University campus.

            Roitman, who is responsible for the care and preparation of the Dead Sea Scrolls for the State of Israel at the Israel Museum, is only the second curator in the history of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and will be speaking about the recent exhibitions at the Shrine of the Book which have featured ancient Jewish, Christian and Islamic texts as a part of the comparisons with the creation of the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts. On Friday, Oct. 28, a new Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition will be featured in New York City.

Hazza Abu Rabia, will speak about the publication of his new Arabic language book, Ottoman Nazareth in Western Eyes, published in Nazareth. The book is the first modern Arabic language book to chronicle the history of pilgrimage from Europe to Nazareth over the past 1,500 years. The book deals with traditions and social life of the diverse populations of the city including: marriage ceremonies, burial rituals, holiday celebrations, as well as how the residents made their living. Abu Rabia, a native of Nazareth, collected the accounts of almost 100 travelers and Christian pilgrims and translated them into Arabic so that students in Nazareth and Arabic readers world-wide could understand the importance of Nazareth. At the lecture, Abu Rabi will present selections from the book in English. A book signing will follow the lecture.

(In July, University of Hartford Professor Richard Freund met with the Mayor of Nazareth and presented him with 100 copies of the book for use in Nazareth schools.)

Following both presentations, the new 2012 archaeological excavations projects of the Greenberg Center will be revealed and open enrollment for participants will be held. The Greenberg Center Archaeological Projects are for Summer, 2012 in June-July.

The event is sponsored by the Irving and Millie Bercowetz lecture fund, the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, and the Adult Education Committee Fund of the Emanuel Synagogue. Although the event is free and open to the public, seating is limited.