Uni-Jos pushing boundaries on ancient manuscripts collection

A research work on ancient manuscripts – now lasting two years so far – has brought the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State pushing boundaries in the collection of original, unpublished documents especially about Africa. The university is on its way to breaking the record among universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to Professor Danny […]

A research work on ancient manuscripts – now lasting two years so far – has brought the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State pushing boundaries in the collection of original, unpublished documents especially about Africa.
The university is on its way to breaking the record among universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to Professor Danny McCain, an American author who is leading a research group made up of a dozen scholars from five universities in Nigeria on a work called “Ancient Manuscripts Project.”
He told Daily Trust on Sunday at the university that “We are the only university in Africa to have had access to original, unpublished documents.”
This project is featuring prominently on the lips of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university, Professor Hayward Babale Mafuyai, in various discussions about achievements of UNIJOS, 40 years on. The VC has held a piece of a letter written by Ptolemy II about 250 BC, in his palms, as one of the collections which has shot the university to attain heights in research results.
UNIJOS at a glance:
The University of Jos started as a campus of the University of Ibadan in November, 1971, with the appointment of Professor E. A. Ayandele as its first Acting Principlal. Its first home was the present Township campus of the University which is located along Murtala Mohammed way, Jos. Its first students admitted in January, 1972 were pre-degree students. Degree courses in Arts were introduced in October 1973 and in Science and Education the following year. The same year, the Bauchi Road Campus which then accommodated only the Faculties of Natural, environmental, Medical Sciences and Education was acquired. In October 1975, the then Military Government announced the establishment of seven new Universities and University Colleges including the University of Jos. Professor Gilbert Onuaguluchi was appointed its first Vice- Chancellor. Since then, the University has made enormous progress. By 1993, a new system for appointment of Vice-Chancellor in Nigerian Universities was introduced. There was therefore a delay in the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor in 1993. In the interim, Prof. G. O. M. Tasie acted as Vice-Chancellor from October 1993 to March 1994. Eventually, Prof. N.E. Gomwalk was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University in April,1994. His tenure ended in 1999. Professor M. Y. Mangvwat was appointed Ag. Vice-Chancellor from January 2000 to May 4th 2001. He was later appointed substantive Vice-Chancellor with effect from 5th May 2001. After him, Professor Sonni Tyoden was Vice Chancellor from June 12, 2006 to June 11, 2011. He was the 7th substantive Vice- Chancellor of the university. The current and 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University is Professor Hayward Babale Mafuyai who assumed duty in June 23, 2011.
 The university has 13 faculties (Arts, Education, Law, Environmental Sciences, Medical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Social Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physical Facilities, and Management Sciences) and over 60 departments. It has a teaching hospital and other academic units such as the Centre for Peace Studies, Centre for Continuing Education, and Centre for Development Studies. The university offers programs at doctoral, masters, bachelors, diploma and certificate levels.
Ancient manuscripts project:
The ancient manuscript project, brought the university linking up with Ancient Manuscript Group based in Grand Haven, Michigan, according to Professor McCain, who is also a professor of Biblical Theology in the department at the university.
McCain has lectured continuously at UNIJOS since 1991 and has had significant experience creating academic projects and coalitions in Africa. He is also the founder and Chairman of Board, Global Scholars, a group of Christian professors in universities worldwide.
 He said the Ancient Manuscripts Group has been visiting the country every three months to do workshops with scholars.
“We have about 12 to 15 scholars involved in this project. These are ancient biblical manuscripts and other manuscripts which are important to the Christian faith because they are the foundation of the bible,” McCain said.
 “Now, we have a 600 year old Hebrew scroll with us; we have been analysing for the last three months. We have also analysed 800-year old Latin manuscript. We have one of my PhD students doing works on 4th Century Coptic document.”
 He said the group of scholars has spent a good deal of time looking at the Papyrus document; that is one of the earliest papers from 1600 years old to over 2,200 years old.
“For example, I have a picture of the Vice Chancellor holding a document in his hands; a letter from Ptolemy II, son of Ptolemy I, Alexander the Great’s general who ruled Egypt.
Ptolemy II:
In about 285 BC, Ptolemy I Soter probably took as his co-ruler one of his sons by Berenice, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who became the sole ruler of Egypt and the rest of his father’s empire upon the elder king’s death in about 282 BC, according www.touregypt.net.
 The Egyptian tourism site says Ptolemy II, the second king of Egypt’s Greek period took the Egyptian name, Meryamun Setepenre, which means “Beloved of Amun, Chosen of Re”.
 “His reign can only be described as successful, considering the expansion of his possessions around the Mediterranean, the internal stability in Egypt, and the fulfillment of many of his father’s imaginative projects, such as the Pharaohs Lighthouse and the Alexandrian University and Library,” the site says.
 Ptolemy’s letter in UNIJOS collections:
“We have a letter written by this king, in our collections,” Professor McCain told Daily Trust with pride.
“We are trying to develop scholars in the area of ancient manuscripts. We are the only university in Africa to have had access to original, unpublished documents like this. So, it is a significant step forward in research about ancient manuscripts especially about Africa.”