An art piece featuring a rare artifact attributed and verified as coinage stamped during the reign of the man who gave the order to crucify Jesus Christ can now be viewed in Abbotsford through early 2022.
The piece, titled The Crucifixion: The Shekel of Pontius Pilate, by Canadian artist Catherine Adamson was originally slated to conclude on Nov. 30.
It is on display in the Metzger Collection on the campus of Columbia Bible College, 2940 Clearbrook Rd.
The Crucifixion was unveiled Sept. 23 by Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun and author/essayist Robert Joseph Greene.
The piece is the first work in a wider collection titled Authentic: A Study in Evil. A collaborative effort, the commissioned collection focuses on rulers who, in order to satisfy their own ego and/or ideology, used their power to suppress both people and nature.
Pilate is known as the judge of Jesus’s trial who gave the order for his crucifixion in Judea.
RELATED: Art piece in Abbotsford features coin connected to era of man who ordered crucifixion of Jesus
The rare coin set in the art piece was the only archeological evidence that Pilate existed until 1961, when a cornerstone to a theatre in Judea was discovered with Pilate’s name on it.
The art piece is on temporary loan to the Metzger Collection, and the museum has reported an increase in visitor traffic since the exhibition opened to the public on Sept. 24.
The Crucifixion is valued at $30,000, and it’s hoped that a private donation can take place to make it a permanent part of the Metzger Collection.
The collection was the work of a lifetime for Rev. Dr. Frederick Metzger and sets the biblical story within the broader context of human history, from prehistory to the modern period.
After touring Israel in 1967, Metzger began to collect museum-quality replicas of artwork and artifacts, and over the course of nearly a half-century, his collection grew to include more than 1,200 pieces.
The collection was donated to Columbia Bible College in 2012 and opened to the public in 2015.
“This is the only place in the world you can find all these pieces under one roof,” says Greg Thiessen, manager of the Metzger Collection.
“The Crucifixion would be an incredible addition to Rev. Metzger’s legacy as it strikingly illustrates the intersection of the Bible with culture and history.”
The exhibition is free to the public by appointment only. Call 604-853-3567 (ext. 539), visit metzgercollection.org or email metzgercollection@columbiabc.edu.
The collection is closed for the holidays from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3.