Digitizing Monk

December 24, 2009

BOSTON--Father Columba Stewart has made it his mission to digitize precious manuscripts found in some of the most threatened communities around the world, including Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel, Iraq, and Ethiopia. The project has discovered and preserved chronicles of how the early Christians living in the Middle East perceived the arrival of the Crusaders, as well as the oldest known Ethiopian-language copy of every book in the Bible.

Young boys learn their ancient language from a precious monastery manuscript, in Yeha, Ethiopia (copyright Hill Museum & Manuscript Library)

An illuminated manuscript from Ethiopia, depicting the saints

A bookworm-eaten manuscript digitized in Balamand, Lebanon in 2003 (copyright Hill Museum & Manuscript Library)

A manuscript repaired with tape, since digitized and preserved (copyright Hill Museum & Manuscript Library)

This program aired on December 24, 2009. The audio for this program is not available.