October 2004
ADULT PROGRAMS AT CALVIN COLLEGE’S PRINCE CONFERENCE
CENTER EXPLORE THE ANCIENT CULTURES HIGHLIGHTED IN PETRA:
LOST CITY OF STONE EXHIBIT
Calvin College, host of the internationally acclaimed Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibit, is
developing a wide-ranging array of public programs about this ancient metropolis located in
southern Jordan and its creators, the Nabataeans.
Adult program opportunities are being developed under the direction of Sally de Vries, Chair of
Adult Programming for the Petra Exhibit. de Vries and her husband, Bert, Calvin College
history and archaeology professor, have traveled to the Middle East, Jordan and Petra more than
35 times over the span of 32 years. During that time, de Vries and her family lived in residence
in Jordan for nearly six years, and developed ongoing friendships with Jordanians including
many members of the country’s Royal Family. de Vries has researched and lectured on the
traditional cultures of those in the region of Jordan, Syria and Palestine.
During the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibit, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in
a comprehensive series of educational and informational programs exploring a wide range of
topics on Petra and Jordan presented by renowned local, national and international speakers.
Topics range from Petra’s archaeological wonders and culture, to customs and history, and even
the connection between Petra and Hollywood – as Petra was used as a location for the popular
1989 feature film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Guests will have the opportunity to attend the “Oasis Lunches,” a series of free lectures on
Wednesdays in April and May, from noon to 1 p.m., at the Prince Conference Center. Middle
Eastern cuisine is available prior to or following the lectures from the Khazneh* Café.
A series of evening public lectures will be presented, dedicated to the memory of the late Calvin
College Professor Bastiaan Van Elderen, whose influence in the archaeological community and
beyond, inspired many to pursue their interest in Petra and the Middle East.
Professor Bert de Vries will teach a four-week History 261 course entitled “Petra and the
Nabataeans.” The course will include the Nabataean’s historical evolution from nomads to urban
traders, their cultural accomplishments and the religions of Petra. The class is open to Calvin
students and community participants alike with continuing education credit (CEU) available for
teachers.
An ancillary exhibit, “Jordan’s Cultural Treasure,” will focus on Jordanian costumes, customs,
crafts and culture and will be on display prior to entering the Introduction section of the exhibit.
Craft and cooking classes will also be offered as part of the adult programming.
“The incredible variety of educational and informational opportunities available throughout the
exhibit will offer those in the Calvin, Grand Rapids, and Great Lakes region communities an
outstanding opportunity for personal enrichment,” de Vries says.
Calvin College will provide scheduling and registration information for the Petra exhibit’s adult
programming offerings in literature and online at www.calvin.edu/petra.
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Organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum and American Museum of Natural History, New York under the
patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Air
transportation generously provided by Royal Jordanian.
For more information about the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibit, running April 4 – August 15, 2005, at
the Prince Conference Center, contact Calvin College at 3201 Burton S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49546;
616.526.7800; 800.PETRA05; or log on to www.calvin.edu/petra. Exhibit hours: M/W/F/Sat., Memorial
Day and Fourth of July, 9:30am-6pm; T/TH, 9:30am – 9pm; closed Sunday.
-end-
______________________________________________________
For Release:
October 2004
Calvin College
Phil deHaan
Director of Media Relations
616.526.6475
dehp@calvin.edu
Professional Marketing
Diane M. Jones
President
616.949.9104
pmconsulting@aol.com
______________________________________________________
[*Khazneh = “The Treasury”]
About Petra and Petra: Lost City of Stone:
Petra: Lost City of Stone is the first major cultural collaboration between Jordan and the United States. This groundbreaking
exhibition offers North American audiences the opportunity to learn about the ancient metropolis of Petra, which was literally
carved from the red sandstone in the desert cliffs of southern Jordan. Located in the Jordan Rift Valley at the crossroads of
international trade routes, Petra was one of the most influential and prosperous commercial centers in antiquity. The rich cultural
life of the city reflected a confluence of Eastern and Western styles and traditions.
The forbidding desert was transformed by the Nabataeans into a bustling metropolis with monumental tombs carved directly into
the red sandstone hills, and hundreds of other structures including burial chambers, funerary banquet halls, residences, theaters,
bath complexes, arched gates and a complex system of water channels and reservoirs. The Nabataeans were skilled engineers and
developed and maintained an elaborate system of damming, terracing and irrigation that allowed them to maximize the
agricultural potential of the surrounding Petra plateau.
From the second century B.C. through the third century A.D., Petra prospered. A massive earthquake in A.D. 363 destroyed much
of the city, and, although partially revived after that, Petra was no longer the economic powerhouse it had been. Much of the
technological infrastructure that had made life in Petra possible fell into disuse, and political and religious changes in the ancient
world led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the seventh century A.D.
From its rediscovery by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812, Petra, with its savage beauty, desolate setting, the mystery
and splendor of its rock-carved architectural ruins and the variegated color of its cliff faces, has been a source of deep fascination
for Westerners. It became a major pilgrimage site for 19th century European and American artists and other travelers, and it
continues to enthrall. It was even used as a location for the popular 1989 feature film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
About Sally and Bert de Vries:
For more than three decades, Sally de Vries and her husband, Bert, a Calvin College professor, have traveled to Jordan and Petra
for visits, tours and project work. In the early 1970s, de Vries worked with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee to
distribute food and clothing to drought- and war-impoverished Petra residents. She has researched and lectured on the textiles and
cultural history of the Bedouins, villagers and urbanites of the Syria-Jordan-Palestine region. Her collection of textiles, jewelry,
carpets and household accessories has been exhibited at Calvin College, and at locations in Kalamazoo, MI, and Chicago. Bert de
Vries, a professor of history and archaeology, is also an archaeological architect. His archaeological work includes a strong
element of Nabateaean history and culture. He has worked on and directed several archaeological projects in Jordan from 1968 to
present, and regularly teaches and conducts research and development work in Palestine and Jordan.
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About the late Bastiaan Van Elderen, Global Scholar, Archaeologist (1925-2004):
A graduate of Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, Bastiaan Van Elderen taught at both institutions, retiring in
1990. Van Elderen was an internationally respected Bible scholar, who taught New Testament studies at Calvin Theological
Seminary, and in Amsterdam and Jordan. He conducted numerous digs in Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, uncovering evidence of
early Christian communities and churches. Van Elderen once wrote: “We are heirs to a rich past. The archaeologist tries to
uncover some part of that. Even the smallest artifact can be an exciting find.” He played a key role in bringing the 2003 Dead Sea
Scrolls exhibit to Grand Rapids, MI, and educating the public on the rich history surrounding that exhibit.
About Calvin College
Founded in 1876, Calvin College has become one of the largest Christian colleges in North America with over 4,000 students
from the U.S., Canada and another 50 countries around the globe. Calvin College offers nearly 100 majors and areas of study
and has 10 off-campus program options for students, including such places as China, Ghana, and Honduras. Calvin is widely
recognized for its outreach by means of scholarly study and works of art by its faculty and by student and alumni service in their
various communities. Special events also broaden Calvin’s outreach. Among them is the biennial Conference on Faith and
Writing, which brings noted writers to campus, and the annual widely-recognized January Series, a 15-day educational and
cultural series, which brings to campus internationally recognized musicians and scholars on timely topics. The archaeological
exhibit Petra: Lost City of Stone is brought to Calvin College as part of its dedication to community education and outreach.