Archives: A Biblical Perspective
Copyright 1997 Todd Ellison
Abstract of article: Regardless of one's spiritual convictions, the Bible as an historical document is relevant to archival work today. A study of archival principles drawn from the Holy Scriptures can be as instructive as it is fascinating. This article draws attention to passages in the Old and New Testaments which have direct application for key aspects of archival work. From Creation and Noah's flood through the Old Testament prophets, End Times prophecies and the example of the Scriptures preserved in the Dead Sea scrolls and elsewhere, one can see archival work from a fresh perspective and can draw ramifications that may change one's approach to archival work.
Copyright 1997 Todd Ellison
Abstract of article: Regardless of one's spiritual convictions, the Bible as an historical document is relevant to archival work today. A study of archival principles drawn from the Holy Scriptures can be as instructive as it is fascinating. This article draws attention to passages in the Old and New Testaments which have direct application for key aspects of archival work. From Creation and Noah's flood through the Old Testament prophets, End Times prophecies and the example of the Scriptures preserved in the Dead Sea scrolls and elsewhere, one can see archival work from a fresh perspective and can draw ramifications that may change one's approach to archival work.
Archives: A Biblical
Perspective
The Bible offers a useful perspective on all matters of life. Evaluating one's profession--in this case, archival work--in terms of Biblical history can be a rewarding personal exercise. Whether or not one believes in the God of the Holy Scriptures, studying them merely as an historical document can yield principles that may reinforce, adjust or change the ways in which one (an archivist) works.
Modern American society has tended to neglect, ignore or scorn Biblical truths and principles. Yet, a Gallup poll indicates that 40% of adult U.S. citizens are likely to attend church or synagogue regularly.1 Our national archival journal has never presented a global view of archival work, from a Judeo-Christian perspective.2 This article represents an attempt to articulate principles and perspectives held by Bible-believing archival professionals, and to voice the core values of many of the researchers who utilize our archival holdings. One need not be a Jew, a Catholic, or a Protestant to appreciate the historical and practical lessons that can be drawn from the Scriptures as regards the various tasks of managing, appraising, selecting, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing reference access to historically significant records.
What can the Bible teach us about archival work? More than one might suspect.
In fact, both the Old and New Testaments have applications for key aspects of the profession. In the Creation account in Genesis one can find the seeds for archival management. The pattern of creation--laying hold, restructuring, distributing, evaluating, enjoying, and giving thanks--is one that the management of any size repository might well emulate.3 These up-building processes of creation are the foundation for the regenerative work of archives. The direct application of archival techniques brings order and usefulness to the records in the archivist's care. Surely, the condition of repositories' processing backlogs never improves without the expenditure of archivists' expertise in managing information, physical records, and the resources of staffing, supplies, space and finances.
Rather humorous discussions on the Archives and Archivists electronic mail Internet list focussed on Noah's archival techniques, particularly in the areas of appraisal and disaster planning.4 Scott Cline of the Seattle Municipal Archives noted that Noah's representative sampling was weighted toward anticipated needs, selecting "seven each of the `clean' animals, no doubt a difficult appraisal decision, but one made after carefully discussing values with the creator."5 David Deacon of Syracuse University observed that Noah "managed to save the important, representative items without loading himself down with too much. Certainly his careful selectivity and insurance of safe passage makes him the ideal proto-archivist."6 Regarding the disaster planning, Alan Willis added that Noah "did have fair warning from a reliable source."7 And the ensuing diluvian deaccessioning certainly was thorough and clean-cut. Helen Tibbo at the University of North Carolina summarized Noah's archival attributes:
He had support from top management; he certainly knew a thing or two about appraisal and had a top notch collection development policy...; he had a disaster plan and gathered the necessary materials ahead of time...; he was great at arrangement; once the disaster was over, he facilitate[d] open access to the collection; and finally, he had the foresight to deal with non-textual, non-paper-based, multimedia (DNA) records.8
Several Archives List participants recommended that Noah be named the patron saint or mascot of archives.
Archivists who adopt the life cycle approach toward records management actually take appraisal even further into the theological waters. This is a Calvinistic mind-set: certain records are predestined, from even before their creation, for either salvation or the flames. It has a Catholic twist to it, too: accessioning often follows a period of purgatory in the records center. It seems that archivists have a God-like role in the management of records. One could argue that this role is a reflection of man's having been created in the image of God.9
Arrangement and description is another topic in the early chapters of Genesis. Archives is the oldest profession! Adam's task was to name all of the created beings, and thus to control them and live peaceably among them.10 Likewise, the archivist's single most important act in gaining control over records is to name them; we think up proper (i.e., discrete, harmonious and encompassing) titles for folders, boxes, collections. If the naming is proper, the control is total.
Inferentially, the Bible addresses environmental factors and their effect on constituent materials. Some Bible scholars argue that the temperature, relative humidity and light levels of the newly created world were superb. And just as the salinity of the seas and of the human body have been found to be comparable, we know that generally speaking the same environment that is comfortable for us is good for the materials we preserve. These similarities are evidences of the work of a single intelligent Creator--that important Biblical premise again. Incidentally, even some of the problems plaguing us humans--acidic tartar-forming-plaque in our mouths, for example--are similar to those that face our collections (alkaline buffering is a solution for both problems, thus the recent onslaught of baking soda dentifrices).
The Bible speaks of--and is itself testimony to--the possibilities of archival storage and the "moral and physical defense" of the records, to use Sir Hilary Jenkinson's dictum. The prophet Jeremiah wrote of storing scrolls in a clay jar (a stable protective micro-environment) so that they would last a long time.11 When a Bedouin shepherd boy's search for his lost goat led to his discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947, the world was astonished to hear of the survival of leather scrolls dating from about 100 B.C.12 Wrapped in linen cloth that was covered with a pitch-like substance and stored in carefully sealed pottery jars, the scrolls were at least 1,000 years older than the earliest previously known Old Testament manuscripts--and confirmed their accuracy. Much of the scroll work had been preserved in those jars for nearly 1,900 years. The Dead Sea archaeological work also revealed that these ancient scribes used more stable materials (such as carbon-based ink) than are prevalent today.13 The users even seem to have washed their hands before handling the scrolls--a double basin was found in the work area! Whole lives of entire communities--people of the Massoretic sect who inhabited the Dead Sea area and followed strict laws for copying scriptures--were dedicated to archival work focussed on the Jewish holy writ. Such has been the awe of those who maintained the content of the Holy Scriptures through the millennia, from the "records of ancient times" mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:22, continuing through the monastic work that preserved the Bible and much of Western culture through the Dark Ages.
It is no wonder that preservation of the sacred scriptures was considered important since the earliest days. The Judeo-Christian tradition has emphasized the written word: documents, rather than oral tradition or folklore.14 A constant Biblical theme is that of the Power of the Word, the Authority of the Book. When the people of Israel heard the book of the law after it was rediscovered in about 622 B.C. during the reign of King Josiah after many years of oblivion, their response was consternation.15 The power of the book was such that the people wept when they heard its words.16 Similarly, the New Testament speaks of the awesome moment when the books are opened at the end day.17
More broadly, several of the Old Testament authors acknowledged the power of archival records for reference uses. In Queen Esther's day, "the king could not sleep, so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him"--not to put him to sleep but to find answers to that which was troubling him!18 The profession of recorder was distinct from scribe in Old Testament times; the recorder was often mentioned in the same phrase as the army commander.19 The archival records were kept in the royal treasure-house, so highly were they regarded. But reference to the archives was not restricted to royalty; Daniel (while in top management in Babylon) used "the books" to determine the timing for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.20 The "house of books" was scoured by both opponents and advocates of the rebuilding of Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity.21 Numerous seldom-read portions of Scripture mention genealogies--and, arguably, indicate that God himself considered at least some genealogical research important. Genealogies preserved the historical record of a captive people and granted or denied rights to those people in later years.22 Thus, the "book" had power over both the common folk and the rulers in Old Testament times--and (for the Christian believer) the effect of its power in the coming final days described in the New Testament is simply incalculable.
One of our most common needs as persons and as archivists is for personal meaning, which relates to maintaining continuity between generations. We want to remember, and we hope to be remembered. Thus, the way we view time is critical. Surely (still thinking of the archivist's reference functions) if we have a personal understanding of the past we can facilitate a personalized view of the future, rather than just being custodians of historical records. When faced with decisions, archivists and those who use historical collections will be more apt to make wise choices if they are first informed of relevant previous decisions made by political, business, educational, social and spiritual leaders and individuals. The historical record can free us from arrogance and can give us a seasoned basis for sound judgment. But more significantly, as the contemporary Christian writer Philip Yancey has observed, there is a sense in which we (like God) perceive time in a never-ending present. For us (unlike God), it all happens as a sequence of events. Nonetheless, "we do all our thinking in the present. ... Because I only exist in the present, I can only perceive the past and the future from the perspective of the present."23 Thus, the past is not something we can box up for posterity. Even the archivist's document case is a factor of the present. Decisions about what parts of the historical record to place in that box and which to discard are present decisions, ones which are likely to be re-evaluated in a future present. Even deciding which box to purchase is a present decision. Each of the archival functions is heightened by this God-like attribute of human beings as we move through time toward a timeless eternity.
What might be some of the ramifications of a Biblical perspective toward archival work? Three at least. Primary would be that the Creator God--not the human creation--is the center and focus of all of life. That is the humbling lesson of the Tower of Babel.24 Trying to exclude their God from their world and disregarding His promise, through the rainbow, that He would never again destroy the earth by flood, the descendants of Noah arrogantly set out to build history's first skyscraper, possibly in an attempt to save themselves from another flood. The book of Genesis informs us that God was displeased, and that He dispersed the tower builders by confusing their speech. One perspective on human history--and archival work--is that ever since God confused the speech of mankind on the plains of Shinar, we have been attempting to re-create order and have been learning again how to communicate one with the other.
Second, it reminds us that no things will last forever. Each of us is just passing through this world. "For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it."25 For the Bible believer, Noah's flood is the precursor of the fire next time. And surely most archivists would agree, if the point were pressed, that sooner or later the records in their custody are going to burn, decay, get stolen or lost or otherwise cease to exist.26 This perspective on things should lead archivists to a humbler global view of our work.
Finally, a Biblical perspective probably would alter the ways in which we look for meaning in our archival work and in the fruit of our labors. That meaning follows logically from a recognition of the first two ramifications. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."27 The person who has a Bible-based perspective on life sees a broad horizon, believing that only our character will endure and that the absolute fulfillment of everything awaits us in Heaven.28 Persons who share this perspective would do well to shift their center of gravity from the things of this world to those that last forever. As the Preacher concluded, "Be warned,...of making many books [read, the processing of many archival collections] there is no end, and much study wearies the body."29 Arguably, we would be wise to take a broad, cosmic view of the importance of preserving personal papers and archival records, viewing their deepest value as instruments that influence the shaping of persons' lives during this earth's brief sliver of eternity. One might well consider the possibility of a deeper aspect of our daily archival actions, that our work is part of a much larger unseen process of ongoing character development, reflected in the products of our work and in the relationships we have shaped in the course of our careers. Thus, archival value lasts beyond the survival of the records; it imparts a release from futility and shows us a grand purpose. Even if no one consults the records we appraise, acquire, arrange, describe and preserve, they--and the work that was expended on them--are part of a personal or corporate foundation of identity. Ultimately, our work is a character-shaping enterprise which supersedes all of the particular archival tasks.
Remembering is important!30 Character is important. Archival work is important. The reasons are deeper than we tend to think. The archivist whose work is informed by Biblical history and principles will find deeper meaning in this profession, and may experience a freedom in believing that personal character development (mostly in oneself, but also in the researchers who benefit from our labors) is the chief goal and product of archival work.
Endnotes
1. Gallup survey reported December 3, 1993, in Facts on File, December 31, 1993 (vol. 53, No. 2770, p. 979). A subsequent Gallup survey on January 22, 1994 found that 59% of the U.S. population values religion (Facts on File, February 17, 1994 (vol. 54, No. 2777, p. 106).
2. Articles such as "Toward the Documentation of Conservative Judaism," American Archivist 57 (Spring 1994):374-379 by Jack Wertheimer, et al., have reported on the status of archival work on particular religious collections. The current editorial board of the American Archivist refused to publish this article, asserting that it was "more about personal faith than about archival issues." Apparently, the editor of this secular journal wishes to keep any discussion of the central matters of life (i.e., faith) far removed from its pages.
3. Genesis 1-2. Synthesis by Richard Bledsoe, personal communication, Boulder, Colorado, ca. 1990.
4. Patron Saint, March 25, 30-31, and April 8, 1995, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. Available e-mail: [email protected]. Cf. Genesis 6:19-20 and 7:2-3, 14-16. The other end of the Bible mentions a similar type of sampling for the composition of the New Jerusalem--there will be at least someone from every tribal group, language, people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)
5. Scott Cline, April 8, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. The Noah discussion led Sheldon Goldfarb of the University of British Columbia to relate the following archives riddle on the List on March 31, 1995: Q. Where did Noah keep the bees? A. In the Ark hives.
6. David Deacon, March 25, 1995, Patron Saints of Archivists, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].
7. Alan S. Willis, March 30, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. Genesis 6:7 and 7:21-23 describe the destruction by flood.
8. Helen Tibbo, March 30, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].
9. Genesis 1:26. 10. Genesis 2:19-20.
"A lecture on archival history will take away much of the mystery,
for the oldest profession is not what you're guessin':
Archives kept Adam real busy!" (copyright 1995 Todd Ellison)
11. Jeremiah 32:14b. An interesting exercise is to compare Jeremiah's scrolls with the Decalogue. Both had to be written twice. Alan Willis noted that "Moses did go one better than acid free paper." (Alan S. Willis, March 31, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].) Jeremiah's first set was cut up and burned by a displeased king, whereas Moses' first set of the ten commandments shattered. Some people expect that the second set of two-sided tablets will yet one day be discovered in the Ark of the Covenant.
12. Cf. Sara S. Hodson, "Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Question of Access," American Archivist 56 (Fall 1993): 690-703. The Dead Sea scroll community functioned from about 150 B.C. to A.D. 68 when it was attacked by a Roman legion.
13. An inkwell in the scriptorium (writing room) near where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered was found to contain the residue of dried ink composed of lampblack and gum.
14. Deuteronomy 31:24-26.
15. 2 Kings 22:8 ff.
16. Nehemiah 8:9.
17. Revelation 20:12-15. See also Revelation 5:1-5 and 8:1.
18. Esther 6:1.
19. 1 Kings 4:3-4, 2 Samuel 8:16, 1 Chronicles 18:15. The Hebrew word for recorder, transliterated zakar which means "remember," has connotations of bringing to mind, bringing to remembrance, considering, invoking, celebrating, making mention, preserving, and reminding. All of those terms are in the province of archival work.
20. Daniel 9:2.
21. "Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives where the treasures were stored...." (Ezra 6:1, and cf. Ezra 4:15 and 5:17, 19).
22. God commanded Moses to keep a record of the journey of the people of Israel once they left Egypt (Numbers 33:2). The Lord put it into the heart of Nehemiah to maintain genealogical records (Nehemiah 7:5) But He warned against the extreme of being consumed by devotion to endless genealogies (I Timothy 1:4, cf. Titus 3:9).
23. Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God, New York: HarperPaperbacks, 1988, p. 235.
24. Genesis 11:1-9.
25. 1Timothy 6:7. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (New York: New York International Bible Society, 1978).
26. Cf. James O'Toole, "On the Idea of Permanence," American Archivist 52 (Winter 1989): 10-25.
27. 2 Corinthians 4:18.
28. Personal communication from Richard Bledsoe, Boulder, Colorado, ca. 1990.
29. Ecclesiastes 12:12. The New American Standard Version concludes this verse with "...excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." 30. Nehemiah 9.
About the author:
Todd Ellison, Archivist, retired full Professor, and (currently) records manager with the City of Durango, established and managed the archival program at the Center of Southwest Studies in Durango, Colorado, and taught archives at the undergraduate level at Fort Lewis College for nearly two decades.
A graduate of Middlebury College (Vermont), Ellison's masters degrees (in history and library science) are from the University of Maryland, College Park.
The Bible offers a useful perspective on all matters of life. Evaluating one's profession--in this case, archival work--in terms of Biblical history can be a rewarding personal exercise. Whether or not one believes in the God of the Holy Scriptures, studying them merely as an historical document can yield principles that may reinforce, adjust or change the ways in which one (an archivist) works.
Modern American society has tended to neglect, ignore or scorn Biblical truths and principles. Yet, a Gallup poll indicates that 40% of adult U.S. citizens are likely to attend church or synagogue regularly.1 Our national archival journal has never presented a global view of archival work, from a Judeo-Christian perspective.2 This article represents an attempt to articulate principles and perspectives held by Bible-believing archival professionals, and to voice the core values of many of the researchers who utilize our archival holdings. One need not be a Jew, a Catholic, or a Protestant to appreciate the historical and practical lessons that can be drawn from the Scriptures as regards the various tasks of managing, appraising, selecting, arranging, describing, preserving, and providing reference access to historically significant records.
What can the Bible teach us about archival work? More than one might suspect.
In fact, both the Old and New Testaments have applications for key aspects of the profession. In the Creation account in Genesis one can find the seeds for archival management. The pattern of creation--laying hold, restructuring, distributing, evaluating, enjoying, and giving thanks--is one that the management of any size repository might well emulate.3 These up-building processes of creation are the foundation for the regenerative work of archives. The direct application of archival techniques brings order and usefulness to the records in the archivist's care. Surely, the condition of repositories' processing backlogs never improves without the expenditure of archivists' expertise in managing information, physical records, and the resources of staffing, supplies, space and finances.
Rather humorous discussions on the Archives and Archivists electronic mail Internet list focussed on Noah's archival techniques, particularly in the areas of appraisal and disaster planning.4 Scott Cline of the Seattle Municipal Archives noted that Noah's representative sampling was weighted toward anticipated needs, selecting "seven each of the `clean' animals, no doubt a difficult appraisal decision, but one made after carefully discussing values with the creator."5 David Deacon of Syracuse University observed that Noah "managed to save the important, representative items without loading himself down with too much. Certainly his careful selectivity and insurance of safe passage makes him the ideal proto-archivist."6 Regarding the disaster planning, Alan Willis added that Noah "did have fair warning from a reliable source."7 And the ensuing diluvian deaccessioning certainly was thorough and clean-cut. Helen Tibbo at the University of North Carolina summarized Noah's archival attributes:
He had support from top management; he certainly knew a thing or two about appraisal and had a top notch collection development policy...; he had a disaster plan and gathered the necessary materials ahead of time...; he was great at arrangement; once the disaster was over, he facilitate[d] open access to the collection; and finally, he had the foresight to deal with non-textual, non-paper-based, multimedia (DNA) records.8
Several Archives List participants recommended that Noah be named the patron saint or mascot of archives.
Archivists who adopt the life cycle approach toward records management actually take appraisal even further into the theological waters. This is a Calvinistic mind-set: certain records are predestined, from even before their creation, for either salvation or the flames. It has a Catholic twist to it, too: accessioning often follows a period of purgatory in the records center. It seems that archivists have a God-like role in the management of records. One could argue that this role is a reflection of man's having been created in the image of God.9
Arrangement and description is another topic in the early chapters of Genesis. Archives is the oldest profession! Adam's task was to name all of the created beings, and thus to control them and live peaceably among them.10 Likewise, the archivist's single most important act in gaining control over records is to name them; we think up proper (i.e., discrete, harmonious and encompassing) titles for folders, boxes, collections. If the naming is proper, the control is total.
Inferentially, the Bible addresses environmental factors and their effect on constituent materials. Some Bible scholars argue that the temperature, relative humidity and light levels of the newly created world were superb. And just as the salinity of the seas and of the human body have been found to be comparable, we know that generally speaking the same environment that is comfortable for us is good for the materials we preserve. These similarities are evidences of the work of a single intelligent Creator--that important Biblical premise again. Incidentally, even some of the problems plaguing us humans--acidic tartar-forming-plaque in our mouths, for example--are similar to those that face our collections (alkaline buffering is a solution for both problems, thus the recent onslaught of baking soda dentifrices).
The Bible speaks of--and is itself testimony to--the possibilities of archival storage and the "moral and physical defense" of the records, to use Sir Hilary Jenkinson's dictum. The prophet Jeremiah wrote of storing scrolls in a clay jar (a stable protective micro-environment) so that they would last a long time.11 When a Bedouin shepherd boy's search for his lost goat led to his discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947, the world was astonished to hear of the survival of leather scrolls dating from about 100 B.C.12 Wrapped in linen cloth that was covered with a pitch-like substance and stored in carefully sealed pottery jars, the scrolls were at least 1,000 years older than the earliest previously known Old Testament manuscripts--and confirmed their accuracy. Much of the scroll work had been preserved in those jars for nearly 1,900 years. The Dead Sea archaeological work also revealed that these ancient scribes used more stable materials (such as carbon-based ink) than are prevalent today.13 The users even seem to have washed their hands before handling the scrolls--a double basin was found in the work area! Whole lives of entire communities--people of the Massoretic sect who inhabited the Dead Sea area and followed strict laws for copying scriptures--were dedicated to archival work focussed on the Jewish holy writ. Such has been the awe of those who maintained the content of the Holy Scriptures through the millennia, from the "records of ancient times" mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:22, continuing through the monastic work that preserved the Bible and much of Western culture through the Dark Ages.
It is no wonder that preservation of the sacred scriptures was considered important since the earliest days. The Judeo-Christian tradition has emphasized the written word: documents, rather than oral tradition or folklore.14 A constant Biblical theme is that of the Power of the Word, the Authority of the Book. When the people of Israel heard the book of the law after it was rediscovered in about 622 B.C. during the reign of King Josiah after many years of oblivion, their response was consternation.15 The power of the book was such that the people wept when they heard its words.16 Similarly, the New Testament speaks of the awesome moment when the books are opened at the end day.17
More broadly, several of the Old Testament authors acknowledged the power of archival records for reference uses. In Queen Esther's day, "the king could not sleep, so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him"--not to put him to sleep but to find answers to that which was troubling him!18 The profession of recorder was distinct from scribe in Old Testament times; the recorder was often mentioned in the same phrase as the army commander.19 The archival records were kept in the royal treasure-house, so highly were they regarded. But reference to the archives was not restricted to royalty; Daniel (while in top management in Babylon) used "the books" to determine the timing for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.20 The "house of books" was scoured by both opponents and advocates of the rebuilding of Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity.21 Numerous seldom-read portions of Scripture mention genealogies--and, arguably, indicate that God himself considered at least some genealogical research important. Genealogies preserved the historical record of a captive people and granted or denied rights to those people in later years.22 Thus, the "book" had power over both the common folk and the rulers in Old Testament times--and (for the Christian believer) the effect of its power in the coming final days described in the New Testament is simply incalculable.
One of our most common needs as persons and as archivists is for personal meaning, which relates to maintaining continuity between generations. We want to remember, and we hope to be remembered. Thus, the way we view time is critical. Surely (still thinking of the archivist's reference functions) if we have a personal understanding of the past we can facilitate a personalized view of the future, rather than just being custodians of historical records. When faced with decisions, archivists and those who use historical collections will be more apt to make wise choices if they are first informed of relevant previous decisions made by political, business, educational, social and spiritual leaders and individuals. The historical record can free us from arrogance and can give us a seasoned basis for sound judgment. But more significantly, as the contemporary Christian writer Philip Yancey has observed, there is a sense in which we (like God) perceive time in a never-ending present. For us (unlike God), it all happens as a sequence of events. Nonetheless, "we do all our thinking in the present. ... Because I only exist in the present, I can only perceive the past and the future from the perspective of the present."23 Thus, the past is not something we can box up for posterity. Even the archivist's document case is a factor of the present. Decisions about what parts of the historical record to place in that box and which to discard are present decisions, ones which are likely to be re-evaluated in a future present. Even deciding which box to purchase is a present decision. Each of the archival functions is heightened by this God-like attribute of human beings as we move through time toward a timeless eternity.
What might be some of the ramifications of a Biblical perspective toward archival work? Three at least. Primary would be that the Creator God--not the human creation--is the center and focus of all of life. That is the humbling lesson of the Tower of Babel.24 Trying to exclude their God from their world and disregarding His promise, through the rainbow, that He would never again destroy the earth by flood, the descendants of Noah arrogantly set out to build history's first skyscraper, possibly in an attempt to save themselves from another flood. The book of Genesis informs us that God was displeased, and that He dispersed the tower builders by confusing their speech. One perspective on human history--and archival work--is that ever since God confused the speech of mankind on the plains of Shinar, we have been attempting to re-create order and have been learning again how to communicate one with the other.
Second, it reminds us that no things will last forever. Each of us is just passing through this world. "For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it."25 For the Bible believer, Noah's flood is the precursor of the fire next time. And surely most archivists would agree, if the point were pressed, that sooner or later the records in their custody are going to burn, decay, get stolen or lost or otherwise cease to exist.26 This perspective on things should lead archivists to a humbler global view of our work.
Finally, a Biblical perspective probably would alter the ways in which we look for meaning in our archival work and in the fruit of our labors. That meaning follows logically from a recognition of the first two ramifications. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."27 The person who has a Bible-based perspective on life sees a broad horizon, believing that only our character will endure and that the absolute fulfillment of everything awaits us in Heaven.28 Persons who share this perspective would do well to shift their center of gravity from the things of this world to those that last forever. As the Preacher concluded, "Be warned,...of making many books [read, the processing of many archival collections] there is no end, and much study wearies the body."29 Arguably, we would be wise to take a broad, cosmic view of the importance of preserving personal papers and archival records, viewing their deepest value as instruments that influence the shaping of persons' lives during this earth's brief sliver of eternity. One might well consider the possibility of a deeper aspect of our daily archival actions, that our work is part of a much larger unseen process of ongoing character development, reflected in the products of our work and in the relationships we have shaped in the course of our careers. Thus, archival value lasts beyond the survival of the records; it imparts a release from futility and shows us a grand purpose. Even if no one consults the records we appraise, acquire, arrange, describe and preserve, they--and the work that was expended on them--are part of a personal or corporate foundation of identity. Ultimately, our work is a character-shaping enterprise which supersedes all of the particular archival tasks.
Remembering is important!30 Character is important. Archival work is important. The reasons are deeper than we tend to think. The archivist whose work is informed by Biblical history and principles will find deeper meaning in this profession, and may experience a freedom in believing that personal character development (mostly in oneself, but also in the researchers who benefit from our labors) is the chief goal and product of archival work.
Endnotes
1. Gallup survey reported December 3, 1993, in Facts on File, December 31, 1993 (vol. 53, No. 2770, p. 979). A subsequent Gallup survey on January 22, 1994 found that 59% of the U.S. population values religion (Facts on File, February 17, 1994 (vol. 54, No. 2777, p. 106).
2. Articles such as "Toward the Documentation of Conservative Judaism," American Archivist 57 (Spring 1994):374-379 by Jack Wertheimer, et al., have reported on the status of archival work on particular religious collections. The current editorial board of the American Archivist refused to publish this article, asserting that it was "more about personal faith than about archival issues." Apparently, the editor of this secular journal wishes to keep any discussion of the central matters of life (i.e., faith) far removed from its pages.
3. Genesis 1-2. Synthesis by Richard Bledsoe, personal communication, Boulder, Colorado, ca. 1990.
4. Patron Saint, March 25, 30-31, and April 8, 1995, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. Available e-mail: [email protected]. Cf. Genesis 6:19-20 and 7:2-3, 14-16. The other end of the Bible mentions a similar type of sampling for the composition of the New Jerusalem--there will be at least someone from every tribal group, language, people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)
5. Scott Cline, April 8, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. The Noah discussion led Sheldon Goldfarb of the University of British Columbia to relate the following archives riddle on the List on March 31, 1995: Q. Where did Noah keep the bees? A. In the Ark hives.
6. David Deacon, March 25, 1995, Patron Saints of Archivists, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].
7. Alan S. Willis, March 30, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online]. Genesis 6:7 and 7:21-23 describe the destruction by flood.
8. Helen Tibbo, March 30, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].
9. Genesis 1:26. 10. Genesis 2:19-20.
"A lecture on archival history will take away much of the mystery,
for the oldest profession is not what you're guessin':
Archives kept Adam real busy!" (copyright 1995 Todd Ellison)
11. Jeremiah 32:14b. An interesting exercise is to compare Jeremiah's scrolls with the Decalogue. Both had to be written twice. Alan Willis noted that "Moses did go one better than acid free paper." (Alan S. Willis, March 31, 1995, Patron Saint, Archives & Archivists List, [Online].) Jeremiah's first set was cut up and burned by a displeased king, whereas Moses' first set of the ten commandments shattered. Some people expect that the second set of two-sided tablets will yet one day be discovered in the Ark of the Covenant.
12. Cf. Sara S. Hodson, "Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Question of Access," American Archivist 56 (Fall 1993): 690-703. The Dead Sea scroll community functioned from about 150 B.C. to A.D. 68 when it was attacked by a Roman legion.
13. An inkwell in the scriptorium (writing room) near where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered was found to contain the residue of dried ink composed of lampblack and gum.
14. Deuteronomy 31:24-26.
15. 2 Kings 22:8 ff.
16. Nehemiah 8:9.
17. Revelation 20:12-15. See also Revelation 5:1-5 and 8:1.
18. Esther 6:1.
19. 1 Kings 4:3-4, 2 Samuel 8:16, 1 Chronicles 18:15. The Hebrew word for recorder, transliterated zakar which means "remember," has connotations of bringing to mind, bringing to remembrance, considering, invoking, celebrating, making mention, preserving, and reminding. All of those terms are in the province of archival work.
20. Daniel 9:2.
21. "Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives where the treasures were stored...." (Ezra 6:1, and cf. Ezra 4:15 and 5:17, 19).
22. God commanded Moses to keep a record of the journey of the people of Israel once they left Egypt (Numbers 33:2). The Lord put it into the heart of Nehemiah to maintain genealogical records (Nehemiah 7:5) But He warned against the extreme of being consumed by devotion to endless genealogies (I Timothy 1:4, cf. Titus 3:9).
23. Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God, New York: HarperPaperbacks, 1988, p. 235.
24. Genesis 11:1-9.
25. 1Timothy 6:7. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (New York: New York International Bible Society, 1978).
26. Cf. James O'Toole, "On the Idea of Permanence," American Archivist 52 (Winter 1989): 10-25.
27. 2 Corinthians 4:18.
28. Personal communication from Richard Bledsoe, Boulder, Colorado, ca. 1990.
29. Ecclesiastes 12:12. The New American Standard Version concludes this verse with "...excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." 30. Nehemiah 9.
About the author:
Todd Ellison, Archivist, retired full Professor, and (currently) records manager with the City of Durango, established and managed the archival program at the Center of Southwest Studies in Durango, Colorado, and taught archives at the undergraduate level at Fort Lewis College for nearly two decades.
A graduate of Middlebury College (Vermont), Ellison's masters degrees (in history and library science) are from the University of Maryland, College Park.
