Page 25 - Holyland Magazine - 2021 Edition
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to bring these foundational documents—and
the role of faith, the church, and the Bible in
these events—to life.
“Woe unto those who make unjust laws” (Isaiah
10:1)
King John is the central figure in the story of Images & Event Concept © 2021 Hawkwood International Limited
the Magna Carta. Son of Eleanor of Aquitaine,
one of the most wealthy and powerful women 1217, the first to be known as ‘Magna Carta’. Common Sense, viewed a Magna Carta while
in history, John controlled fantastic riches. He This version, on display in the exhibit, is the he lived in Sandwich, England, in 1759. He
imposed massive taxes to spend on himself version that endured to become part of British argued that “the charter which secures this
and on disastrous wars in France. He also law, and from there would shape the world. freedom in England, was formed, not in the
established his own personal law court, placing senate, but in the field; and insisted on by the
himself above the law and everyone else in the Not all the people of England benefited from people, not granted by the crown.” Benjamin
kingdom. He also sought to remove the rights the Magna Carta. The peasants were, by Franklin appealed to it in protest against taxes
of the church by refusing to accept the pope’s definition, not “free,” and so the laws of the levied by the king on the colonists. During the
choice for Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Magna Carta did not yet protect them. In drafting of the US Constitution, Alexander
Langton. However, in 1213, under pressure addition, about 5,000 Jews lived in England Hamilton argued that the Magna Carta was
from the pope, he accepted Langton and under Henry III. Just months after the king “obtained by the barons, sword in hand, from
was forced to surrender England and Ireland reissued the Magna Carta, he required all King John,” but that Americans had these
as fiefdoms to the papacy. This made him— Jews to wear an emblem of two white tablets freedoms by their own power, as “We, the
and his barons—vassals to the pope. He is on their outer garments. In 1290, King Edward people . . .”
considered one of the worst kings in British I expelled all Jews from England. Freedom,
history. He might be most notorious, though, justice, and the right to worship according Open at Museum of the Bible July 2, 2021,
for being the villain of every Robin Hood story. to one’s conscience were not realities for all, through January 2, 2022.
and some were persecuted and killed for
The exhibition will feature award-winning actor their faith. To help understand the story of the
Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the Lord Jewish communities in medieval England, the
of the Rings films and Supreme Leader Snoke exhibition will feature the Codex Valmadonna I.
in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as King John. This rare Hebrew Bible manuscript was written
His royal wardrobe, which will be displayed, in 1189. It is the only surviving manuscript
is modeled from John’s tomb at Worcester made by the Jewish community in England
Cathedral. prior to 1290.
By June 1215, King John had few friends. Four of the original clauses in the 1217 the
Archbishop Langton now became an Magna Carta are still law in England; their
advocate for the barons against King John. themes of religious freedom, individual rights,
Langton, a biblical scholar whose works will be trial by jury, and justice may seem obvious and
featured in the exhibit, argued that God had commonplace to us, but we owe them to the
not intended the world to be ruled by kings, agreement forged between a boy king and his
who were predisposed to rule oppressively barons:
and with disregard for the law. He counseled
the barons to force the king to rule according “To none will we sell, to none will we deny, to
to agreed laws; he likely wrote at least the first none will we delay right or justice.” Magna
clause of the Magna Carta. Carta, 1217
At Runnymede, the barons forced the king The US Constitution’s fundamental idea, that
to agree to 63 laws. The unique letter from all people are created equal and endowed by
King John relating these events will be in the their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
exhibition. The parties left in peace, but within has roots in the ideas of the Magna Carta and
weeks John appealed to the pope, who in the Bible. Thomas Paine, the fiery author of
August declared the agreement “null, and void
of all validity forever.” Civil war between John
and his barons followed. Just over a year later,
John was dead and his nine-year-old son,
Henry, became king. The young King Henry
III, realizing that he faced years of struggle
with the barons, agreed to a revised charter in
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