Commandments Take Center Stage

The U.S. Supreme Court decision this week ruling that certain public displays of the Ten Commandments are unconstitutional has again pulled the debate over historical significance of the writing out of the pulpit and parked it squarely on the front page of newspapers across the country. As a means of showcasing the commandments, the Ink & Blood exhibit will  turn Bibles and scrolls to display Exodus 20—the book and chapter where the Ten Commandments appear in the Old Testament—in five languages (Hebrew, Greek , Latin, English, and Spanish).

      “By doing this, visitors to the exhibit can see how this one passage has been represented over time from the early Hebrew writings to the first edition King James Bible of 1611,” said Dr. Bill Noah, curator for the museum exhibit on display now at the Lexington Center . “Those who are devout (Christians and Jews) will get a special thrill to see the array of translations all opened to the Ten Commandments. But even those who are more interested in the historical and academic relevance of the exhibit will have something special to observe.”

      The display includes a number of different English translations, including the Geneva Bible, which came across the ocean with the Pilgrims and the first edition King James Bible.  Also on display in the exhibit is the “Wicked Bible,” so named because of a misprint that left out the “not” in the eighth commandment reading “Thou shalt commit adultery.”

      For more information, call 1-877-33BIBLE or visit www.InkAndBlood.com. Regular tickets prices for the exhibition range from $10 to $16. Purchase tickets in advance via the Ink & Blood website or the toll-free number and receive $2 off the regular price of admission. Children under eight years old will be admitted free. Special group rates are available for school and church groups.