Birth of the Bible

In 1947 a shepherd stumbled upon a bunch of scrolls in a cave on the shores of the Dead Sea. Some of them are now here in Montreal, which is pretty cool. Archaeology and the Bible: From King David to the Dead Sea Scrolls covers more than 1,000 years of Judeo-Christian history at the Musée Pointe-à-Callière (350 Place Royale).

The digs that unearthed the artifacts began in the late 1800s - first by Christian scholars looking to support their scriptures and later by Israeli archeologists seeking the roots of Jewish people returning to their homeland. Naturally the discoveries have led to a flurry of debate, pitting religious views against historical interpretation and good ol’ carbon dating. Little has been proven on any side, and the exhibition itself treads the line, dwelling mostly on the mystery and innate beauty of the pieces on display.

The artifacts are divided into themes running along a timeline beginning with shepherd-turned-King-of-the-Israelites David - whose existence remains argued - through religious practices, daily life and writing in the two Temple periods, to the development of rabbinical Judaism and the birth of Christianity. It runs until Nov. 2. » Matthew Woodley

Fit to wear

Should an upriver jaunt to Quebec City be in the works, a major exhibition running there until October 12 is worth a look. An impressive list of 19 local, national and international artists has been amassed for Doublures at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. The show includes classic pieces by Dominique Blain, Aganetha Dyck, Gotscho, Yinka Shonibare and Jana Sterbak.

Doublures’ subject matter is clothing, but the presentation comfortably fits into the traditional format of the museum. Orlan’s dress made from brown bubble-wrap and Cornelia Parker’s "Blue Shift," which shows the dress worn by Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby, are highlights of the exhibition precisely because they were made to be shown in this context.

Other pieces made me feel they were forced into this format at the expense of the public’s ability to fully appreciate the work. I would loved to have seen a video of Rebecca Belmore’s performance in which the displayed dress, "Rising to the Occasion," was used; or experienced Lucy Orta’s "collective wear as a group." Doublures is a tasty selection of canapés, but is missing some of the meat. Info: (418) 643-2150. » Christine Redfern

Tango tutour

Tango Libre is out to spread the dance gospel. The local group has been giving free lessons under the stars for seven years now to introduce people not only to the traditional Argentinean dance, but to the music as well.

These nights are for everyone so tango neophytes shouldn’t fret. Patient instructors teach the basic steps during the first half of the soirée, and for those whose feet are confident tangoing sans leçon, there’s space to dance the night away.

The festivities begin on June 29 in St-Viateur Park, Sunday nights from 7–10 p.m., and run until Sept. 14. If you just can’t get enough, head over to Verdun Park on Wednesday nights from 6:30–10 p.m., with the lesson running from 8–9 p.m., June 25–Aug. 20, 527-5197, www.tangolibre.qc.ca. » Marites Carino

Music biz 101

Alongside good looks and maybe talent, a little business savvy never hurt anyone trying to get somewhere in the music industry. This weekend, Terminus 1525 is holding Out of the Basement, a workshop on the road to going pro.

Diegal Léger (aka Ragweed MC) of Students for the Advancement of Hiphop Culture hosts the event with guest panellists Donald Robins, a Capital/Virgin label rep, and Universal-signed hip hop artist Treize.

The lineup points at urban music, which is the focus of the workshop, but producer Lou Pienza emphasizes that the session is open to budding musicians of any school. "We really view all musicians as being one," he says. "We’re trying to empower youth with knowledge - arm yourself with that knowledge and you can defend yourself."

Out of the Basement is free, and all the advice is capped off with a performance from Montreal DMC 2003 champ DJ Mana, the Catburglaz and Da Connection. June 28, noon–6 p.m., at the MAI (3690 Jeanne-Mance). » Matthew Woodley

Is it Art?

GET PUMPED: It’s really fun to go to the drug store to check out all the new toothbrushes they’ve got. So you can’t afford top-of-the-line digicams and palm pilots. But a few extra bucks spent on a multicoloured response-bristled, dental-cleaning machine that matches your running shoes and is perfectly tailored to your ergometric needs makes you feel ace. Well wait till you get a load of the Pump Toothbrush. Push a button with your thumb and it dispenses a perfect-sized blob of toothpaste through the bristles and onto the head. The device holds enough paste for about 24 brushings and is extra convenient for those suffering from arthritis or short an arm. No one-trick pony, maker New Generation is currently waiting for patent approval on a toothbrush that monitors fertility.

ArtsHole

ON THE JOG: Montreal’s Hash House Harriers Running Club is holding its annual Red Dress Charity Run in support of literacy and adult education programs at the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre in Little Burgundy. It takes place on Saturday, July 26, 3 p.m., (Crescent and René Lévesque), followed by an auction, To sign up, or for more info, call 932-6949. • SOUND OFF: Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon’s installation Rumeurs 2, in which viewers’ movements trigger a barrage of sound and light, opens today, June 26, at the Mdlc Ahuntsic-Cartierville (10300 Lajeunesse), 872-7994.

ARTISTAT: Number of Montreal cultural organizations to receive sizeable chunks of a total $7-million in subsidies from the Conseil des arts de Montréal, including 26 new companies: 226

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