Howard University School of Divinity Returns a Sacred Manuscript to Ethiopia

HowardUIn 1993, the Howard University School of Divinity received a donation of a 240-piece collection of religious documents and artifacts relating to Ethiopia from alumnus Andre Tweed. Included among the collection is the Tweed MS 150 manuscript of the Acts of Paul and the Acts of Serabamon that dates from the 14th or 15th century.

The university received a grant to digitize the collection. During this process, the university discovered that the Tweed MS 150 manuscript originally belonged to the Debre Libanos Monastery in Ethiopia. Howard University decided that the manuscript should be returned to its rightful owner.

byronGay L. Byron, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of the New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University, states that it “has been a long-standing commitment of the School of Divinity to honor the rich heritage and cultural artifacts throughout Africa and particularly Ethiopia. With all due institutional integrity, we wanted to set an example for other schools, museums, and institutions around this country and even throughout the world for what it means to have rare manuscripts actually in their rightful home of origin.”

A delegation from Howard University, recently traveled to Ethiopia to return the manuscript to its place of origin.

Related Articles

2 COMMENTS

  1. What a generous thing to do.I hope you are still pursuing your work in Ethiopia. I remember your classes with such fondness. I am sure your students at Howard are doing the same.Regards Katherine Nicosia.

  2. This is the right thing to do. We must learn to appreciate not only the provenance of artifacts but also of people. Additionally, the idea that Christianity only has a European origin and exegesis should be returned to where it belongs! I applaud you!

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs