{"id":4969,"date":"2026-01-05T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/?p=4969"},"modified":"2026-01-05T10:00:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T15:00:56","slug":"a-window-into-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/2026\/01\/a-window-into-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"A Window Into the Past"},"content":{"rendered":"

A tour through Seton Hall\u2019s collection of sacred texts connects us to centuries of history,\u00a0faith\u00a0and culture.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seton Hall\u2019s collection of rare books and sacred texts is a window into history and\u00a0<\/span>ideas, say Sarah Ponichtera, assistant dean for special collections and the gallery, and Jacquelyn Deppe, technical services archivist, who curate and\u00a0maintain\u00a0this collection at the\u00a0<\/span>Seton Hall library.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the collection\u2019s 22,000 pieces\u00a0showcase\u00a0artifacts from Seton Hall constituents, often reflecting the school\u2019s deep religious,\u00a0Italian\u00a0and Irish ties. But as the University\u2019s schools\u2019 curriculum expands, so does the diversity of the collection.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a Sufi Muslim devotional book from Tunisia, for instance, and a Jewish scroll from Morocco.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The oldest book dates to 1470, and much of the rare book collection arrived at the school by way of\u00a0donation. New Jersey resident Bertha Margaret Frick, for example, a mathematics teacher turned librarian who passed away in 1975, and Rita M. Murphy, one of Seton Hall\u2019s first female students, each donated collections that reflected their personal interests \u2014 math in Frick\u2019s case, and Irish culture in Murphy\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A tour through the works\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0the evolution of printing and bookmaking, as well as providing a look into people\u2019s experiences with books over the years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the earlier periods, people might only encounter books on\u00a0occasion, like in a church,\u201d said Ponichtera. \u201cLater on, they could pick up a personal-sized book and read it in their backyard. This collection teaches us how people related to ideas, whether formally or casually.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some books include writing in the margins, for instance, giving readers a look into the owner\u2019s thoughts. Some are in\u00a0good shape\u00a0and can stand on their own on the\u00a0library\u2019s\u00a0shelves, while others require custom boxes to preserve them. All are available to the student body, and these days, students can get up close and personal with the books and sacred texts through instructional sessions \u2014 a special departure for them from today\u2019s digital-driven world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents today have so much at their fingertips,\u201d said Deppe. \u201cThat increases their excitement for encountering these physical objects,\u201d she notes, some of which might have been touched by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, the founder of Seton Hall and the Immaculate Conception Seminary.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE STUART BREVIARY<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seton Hall\u2019s ancient breviary \u2014 the Church\u2019s liturgical book of service \u2014 came to the school by way of Rome and then later, Fordham University. Its most notable owner was Cardinal Henry Stuart, who served as the Cardinal of York and used the\u00a0nearly 100-year-old\u00a0breviary to lead congregants in prayer with the canons, many of which were particular to the clergy of Saint Peter\u2019s Basilica.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bishop Bayley obtained the book from a bishop at New York\u2019s Fordham University, who had\u00a0likely brought\u00a0the breviary overseas from Europe, as was standard practice in those days.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Bayley handwrote an inscription at the front of the book detailing its journey to Seton Hall. \u201cThis is a good example of a sacred text that is not unique in its contents, but more\u00a0<\/span>its personal history and ties to Bishop Bayley,\u201d noted Ponichtera.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

INCUNABULA BIBLE<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Seton Hall library is in possession of six incunabula \u2014 books printed before the year 1500. The Bible in this collection, known as the Summa de\u00a0potestate\u00a0eccliesiastica,\u00a0dates to 1473 and was authored by Augustinus de Ancona, also known as Augustinus\u00a0Triuphus.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The copy matches another\u00a0located\u00a0in a university in Madrid, and that might have been enough information to satisfy most people. Deppe, however, noticed its unusual dropped initial capital letters and paragraph indicators illuminated in red and blue ink, and began an effort to\u00a0track down\u00a0its origins. Her\u00a0investigation turned up a new finding: \u201cOur copy has a handwritten ownership mark that can trace it to an abbey in Arras, France,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re not sure how it came into our collection, but it\u2019s a unique copy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BIBLE FROM THE SEMINARY\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The seminary library includes a rare and valuable collection assembled by Father Lawrence Porter, who served as its director until 2022. The seminary\u2019s copy of the Clementine Bible,\u00a0authorized by Pope Clement VIII in 1592, is one of the earliest in existence.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that Father Porter knows a lot about rare books and assembled an extraordinary collection focused on Catholic theology,\u201d said Ponichtera. \u201cThis particular Bible is important because of its history and also its beautiful woodcuts, which are incredibly small and detailed.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Clementine Bible is an updated version of \u201cThe Vulgate,\u201d the authoritative translation of the Bible into Latin, first prepared by Saint Jerome. Pope Sixtus V, who served from 1585 until 1590, took up the task of authorizing the Catholic Biblical translation in response to the Protestant Reformation, which produced several vernacular translations. The 250 woodcut engravings in this edition, published by a famous publishing house in Florence, are rich in detail and\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0the influence of the Renaissance at the time of publication.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing press and printed the first Bible, was Catholic. Yet his \u201cnew technology\u201d had not yet received the Pope\u2019s sanction, which led to the authorization of the Vulgate after his death.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

MOROCCAN SCROLL OF ESTHER<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The library\u2019s Moroccan scroll of Esther dates to the 19<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0century and exemplifies how the University\u2019s collection shares artifacts from different religions and regions of the world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ponichtera obtained the scroll for the library from a private seller, after consulting with colleagues in Judaica libraries about what artifacts might be best suited to Seton Hall. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a lovely text that tells the story of Esther, which is traditionally read on the Jewish holiday\u00a0<\/span>of Purim,\u201d she said. \u201cIt contains beautiful Moroccan illustrations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The book of Esther is one of the writings that stands apart from the five books of Moses that\u00a0comprise\u00a0the Torah. But it is a central text that is read every year by Jewish communities around the world. This scroll also includes just one rod, and not two, as would be the case for a Torah scroll. The book of Esther is designed for one complete readthrough, while Torah scrolls are lengthy and read in sections at synagogues.\u00a0So\u00a0there is no need for the reader to find a specific place in the text.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0purchasing\u00a0the scroll, Ponichtera had to take special steps to authenticate it. \u201cUnfortunately, this is critical when buying Judaica because of the history of looting,\u201d she said. \u201cWe wanted to ensure we bought from a seller who acquired this text ethically.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TUNISIAN MANUSCRIPT\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Tunisian devotional book by a Sufi author also illustrates how the school is evolving to expose students to other religions and parts of the world. Ponichtera\u00a0acquired\u00a0the Muslim text from a rare books dealer in Fall 2024. At the time, little was known about its history.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After bringing the text back to Seton Hall, library staff digitized it and shared it with faculty, including assistant professor Youssef Yacoubi. Yacoubi recognized the author, Abd al-Jalil bin Muhammad bin Ahmad ibn\u00a0Azzum\u00a0al-Muradi al-Qayrawani, a Sufi writer and historian from the Tunisian city of Kairouan who died in 1553. \u201cThere is always more to learn from books like this, that have traveled a long way from home,\u201d Ponichtera said. \u201cThese books provide an opportunity to connect with people across time and space.\u201d The book even carries a faint scent of smoke, like a campfire, or\u00a0perhaps something\u00a0from the tanning process, transporting the reader to another world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE VALUE OF A COLLECTION\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A rare book and sacred text collection on the level of Seton Hall\u2019s is an important piece of enrichment for the student body. \u201cPeople consider these experiences with rare books\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

from long ago time periods as something reserved for students at Harvard or Yale,\u201d said Ponichtera. \u201cBut Seton Hall is giving its student body \u2014 some of whom are first\u00a0generation students \u2014 a tier of education they might not be exposed to otherwise.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sacred texts also share some of Seton Hall\u2019s history and evolution over time, as well as that of Catholicism itself. From the collections Bishop Bayley\u00a0acquired\u00a0in Europe to the donations of alumni and friends of the school in neighboring communities, the sacred texts serve as a timeline, and as the school evolves, so do its materials.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen students come into the library and experience historic sacred texts firsthand, it can be transformational,\u201d said Ponichtera.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere can be an intimidation factor, but we try to make it friendly and remind them that these pieces are meant to be used,\u201d\u00a0she said. \u201cWe encourage people to look at the entire object and consider what it might have meant to those who first used it. These pieces can leave a big impression.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amanda Loudin is a Maryland-based freelance writer.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A tour through Seton Hall\u2019s collection of sacred texts connects us to centuries of history,\u00a0faith\u00a0and culture.\u00a0 Seton Hall\u2019s collection of rare books and sacred texts is a window into history and\u00a0ideas, say Sarah Ponichtera, assistant dean for special collections and the gallery, and Jacquelyn Deppe, technical services archivist, who curate and\u00a0maintain\u00a0this collection at the\u00a0Seton Hall…<\/p>\n

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