The Gordon College Archives is home to many rare treasures, including three original Martin Luther Pamphlets, an original print of Shakespeare’s Second Folio, a history of Gordon going back to the 19th century, and, fairly recently, a Torah scroll.
If you have been lucky enough to view the Torah Scroll in person perhaps through your New Testament or Old Testament class, then you’ll have seen the story of the Old Testament from Genesis to Deuteronomy, depicted through a Torah, or rather two Torahs combined; one half believed to be written in 18th-century in a Germanic script and the other half in a 19th century Eastern European script, both written in Hebrew. The scrolls are impressive in person, their size and presence seeming to fill up a room, the careful handwritten script and age of the parchment providing a peek into the past.
However, is it strange that a Christian college has a Torah scroll? Just how did Gordon come into possession of this scroll? In an interview with Gordon College’s Archivist, Sarah St.Germain, she explains the provenance of the scroll and its significance.
The Torah scrolls were obtained from an organisation known as God’s Ancient Library, which aims to donate its collection of rare Torah scrolls to institutions in the name of education; institutions such as Lipscomb University in Tennessee, Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minnesota, and the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Ethiopia. These scrolls were able to be donated for educational
use due to their non-kosher status. This status is obtained when a scroll receives an imperfection such as faded ink or a tear in the parchment, becoming pasul or unfit for ceremonial use if not repaired promptly.
The Torah that Gordon possesses was first obtained from the synagogue Yad Nissam in Jerusalem, which they had held for at least 20 years, and was then purchased by a private collector. The scroll was purchased by God’s Ancient Library in 2021, which was then registered and sold in accordance with the National Library of Israel and the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Gordon received it in 2023, and it has remained in the Archives since.
One of the tricky parts in navigating the usage and study of a Torah is ensuring the respectful study and handling of materials, as articulated by Sarah St. Germain,
“There’s that cultural concern, of are we doing this properly, is there a way that we should be handling it, or displaying it.”
She specifically refers to how, to Christians, the scrolls are an important historical text, but at the same time, the Torah scroll we possess was an important Jewish ceremonial text. Being aware of how the Torah holds importance to differing groups is crucial when finding the best way to display and learn from the Torah.
Gordon College’s obtaining of the Torah scroll is an exciting opportunity to see firsthand the history of Torah writings, Hebrew, and language development. The Torah Scrolls are currently residing in the Gordon College Archives and will be shown in subsequent New Testament and Old Testament courses. If you are interested in learning more about what the Archives contains, there will be an exhibit on homecoming weekend, celebrating the impact of Barrington College.
Leave a Reply