Biblical Scholar Roy Heller Discusses Holy Sepulcher Treasures at Kimbell

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth presents 'The Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem,' an exhibition of 17th- and 18th-century Roman Catholic liturgical objects, including a ciborium by Jean Hubé (1668–69) and a crozier from Naples. The show, stopping at only two U.S. venues, features works commissioned by European monarchies and stewarded by the Franciscans for over 700 years. In a conversation with Glasstire's William Sarradet, biblical scholar Roy Heller (Professor of Old Testament at Southern Methodist University) explains the objects' context: they manifest spiritual realities physically, a Roman Catholic approach contrasting with Eastern Orthodox traditions. Heller notes the exhibition lacks sufficient religious context for visitors, and warns against applying modern sensibilities to judge the opulence, emphasizing the need to honor the original context. The objects, including antependia and vestments by Alexandre Paynet, were sent by monarchs like King Louis as their best, not as liquid assets. Heller underscores that without Franciscan stewardship, the exhibition would not exist.