Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Texts records Dead Sea Scrolls 2002 exhibit, 2001-2002

Series — Carton: 1

Identifier: UA 5618 Series 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The materials in this series are related to the planned 2001-2002 Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit that Brigham Young University and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would present before and during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games at the LDS Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ultimately this exhibit was canceled due to rising insurance premiums for artifacts following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The materials included are contracts for the various artifacts in Jordan, Israel, Russia and Norway that were desired to be loaned to Brigham Young University for the exhibit. Photographs of the artifacts are also included. The contracts generally contain several of the rough drafts and contracts that had to be revised before finally being accepted. The insurance costs and financial agreements make up the bulk of the contracts. Correspondence between Brigham Young University, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the various institutions in Jordan, Israel, Russia and Norway are included. The letters and emails of correspondence begin in early 2001and continue into 2002, with the cancelation of the exhibit in late September 2001.

The blueprint and outline for the exhibit floor is included, as are the plans for the opening, exhibit placards, contact information for all individuals involved, travel itineraries for the pickup of artifacts and the financial estimates for the exhibit.

Dates

2001-2002

Creator

Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (creator, Organization)
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (creator, Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Restricted. Closed for 35 years from the date of creation of the records, and thereafter open to the public in accordance with the University Archives Policy.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any neccessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts records must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Administrative History

From the Collection:

The Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART) was established in 2001. Daniel Oswald served as the executive director from 2001-2003 and Noel B. Reynolds served from 2003 to 2006. In 2006, the BYU Board of Trustees renamed ISPART the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.

The Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts helped recover, preserve, study, and publish ancient documents. The institute was specifically interested in the Bible and its historical context, the manuscript sources of Eastern Christianity, and Book of Mormon scholarship. The Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART) was the administering body for the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (CPART), Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI), and Research Technology Group. All divisions functioned under the direction of an executive director who acted in the same capacity as a Dean of an academic department.

Administrative History

From the Collection:

The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization by John. W. Welch. In 1997 FARMS was formally invited into Brigham Young University by President Gordon B. Hinckley. FARMS functioned as its own research foundation until 2001 when it became a part of the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART). In 2006 it became a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship when ISPART changed names. Paul Y. Hoskisson has served as the foundation director since 2008. In 2010, the Foundation for Ancient Research was dissolved. The publication continued under the name of Mormon Studies Review.

The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies functions as a research and publication center that focuses on scholarly analysis of the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, the Old Testament, the New Testament, early Christian history, and ancient temples.