Central United Methodist Church is pleased to present, in partnership with the National Geographic Society, two evenings with National Geographic’s archaeologist-in-residence Fredrik Hiebert.
Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $10, available at MyNorthTickets.com
On Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7, just days after the church celebrates the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, Dr. Hiebert will share his insider view of the restoration of the Edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, under which it is believed, lies the Tomb of Christ. This painstaking restoration was carried out in less than a year by an international team of experts, often working at night so as not to disturb the millions of religious pilgrims who visit the site each year. The project is currently the subject of an immersive exhibition at National Geographic’s Museum in Washington DC. Learn more about the exhibition.
This two-night event is being offered to the Traverse City community as a gift from Dr. Hiebert, a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy. Proceeds from ticket sales will be used to help repair the historic dome of Central United Methodist Church. The dome is a historical landmark in downtown Traverse City and stands proudly on Cass Street overlooking the Boardman River. Now, like the Edicule protecting the Tomb of Christ beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it is in desperate need of repair to maintain the integrity of the building that sits below it. Here’s more about the history of Central United Methodist Church.
About Dr. Fredrik Hiebert
Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, has worked on all seven continents of the world and brought great stories of archaeological discovery to the pages of National Geographic for more than 15 years.
A field archaeologist and explorer, Hiebert has traced ancient trade routes overland and across the seas for more than 30 years. Hiebert has led excavations at ancient Silk Road sites across Asia, from Egypt to Mongolia. His excavations at a 4,000-year-old Silk Road city in Turkmenistan made headlines around the world. He also conducts underwater archaeology projects in South America’s Lake Titicaca, and in the highest lake of the Silk Road in search of submerged settlements.
Hiebert completed his doctoral dissertation at Harvard University in 1992 and held the Robert H. Dyson chair of archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the National Geographic Society in 2003. Among other honors, Hiebert received the Chairman’s Award from the National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration in 1998.
As National Geographic’s archaeologist-in-residence, he extends his enthusiasm for archaeology to the public in lectures, presentations, films, and museum exhibits. These exhibitions travel world-wide and include: Treasures from Afghanistan, Peruvian Gold, The Greeks, Ancient Seafarers, Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology, and most recently an immersive exhibition experience: The Tomb of Christ.
—Press release provided by Central United Methodist Church