Lecture: "Rediscovering the Discovery: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Their First Audience" - Prof. Alex Jassen (NYU)
Harvard Classics Lectures
"Rediscovering the Discovery: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Their First Audience"
The Dead Sea Scrolls have been described as the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. This presentation examines the first public exhibition of the scrolls in 1949 as a case study into how scholars, journalists, and public figures taught the world about the scrolls in the early years after their discovery. The Library of Congress exhibit “Ancient Hebrew Scrolls” showcased three scrolls. The impact of this event on public excitement about the scrolls cannot be overstated. The scrolls were brought to Washington D.C. under the protection of the Secret Service. Extended hours accommodated the overwhelming interest as thousands of guests visited over two weeks. The world’s most famous Bible scholar, William F. Albright, gave an opening night lecture to a packed audience in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium. Paramount News and Fox Movietone News sent crews to document the opening night and these newsreels played in theaters and h…
Event Series: Ancient Studies at Harvard Visitors Series.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Sever Hall 103, Quincy Street, Cambridge MA.
Byron Hamann (University of Pennsylvania)
Harvard Classics Lectures
"Fantasies of Latin and Nahuatl in Clement VII's Rome"
Co-sponsored by the Humanities Center Seminar in Book History and the Early Modern Workshop in the Dept of History, Harvard.
Event Series: Mahindra Humanities Center Seminar: History of the Book.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 6:00 PM.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CGIS S250, Harvard University, 1730 Cambridge St. Cambridge MA.
For more info visit bookhistory.harvard.edu. Gallery Performance: Celtic Art Across the Ages
Harvard Classics Lectures
In celebration of the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages, Harvard student Ian Wilson will share favorite readings from Roman historians about Celtic peoples, first in Latin and then in English translation. Focusing on writing by Livy and Caesar, Wilson will show how these stories illuminate stereotypes of people living to the north.
Fee: This is a free event.
Where to go: Special Exhibition Gallery on Level 3; seating is limited.
Accessibility accommodations: Email am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance, including the name and date of the program in the subject line.
General info: The museum visit page has general guidelines for your visit.
Friday, April 24, 2026, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM.
HARVARD ART MUSEUMS, 32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA.
For more info visit harvardartmuseums.org. Ilse and Leo Mildenberg Memorial Lecture, David G. Wigg-Wolf (Leicester University)
Harvard Classics Lectures
Ilse and Leo Mildenberg Memorial Lecture: "Gods? Beasts? Warriors? Interpreting the Imagery of Celtic Coinages"
Speaker:
David G. Wigg-Wolf, Honorary Professor, Leicester University
Free admission, but seating is limited and registration is encouraged. Register here.
Celtic coins present a remarkable world of varied, often fantastic images. The earliest coinages were generally close copies of Hellenistic coins from the Mediterranean world, but gradually they developed a distinct visual language. Elements of the original prototypes were adapted or became disjointed; because these were combined with new elements, the resulting designs can be difficult to understand today. Different regions also followed different iconographical traditions, leading to a wide variety of designs. In a later phase, the arrival of Rome on the political stage led to the re-appearance of coinages with a classical look, particularly in Britain. In this lecture, David G. Wigg-Wolf, of Leicester University, will trace the iconography…
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY; Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more info visit harvardartmuseums.org. Conference—Past and Present: Cultural Politics in Byzantium and Beyond
Harvard Classics Lectures
Convenors: Panagiotis Roilos and Dimiter Angelov
See complete program for details.
Event contact to appear in listing: contact: roilos@fas.harvard.edu.
Friday, May 1, 2026 – Saturday, May 2, 2026.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Boylston Hall 110 (Friday) and Robinson Hall 125 (Saturday), Cambridge MA.
For more info visit history.fas.harvard.edu.