Two exhibits in Washington right now examine both ends of the history of the Bible. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is showing In the Beginning: Bibles before the Year 1000 (through January 7, with a nice online feature), which brings together over 70 early examples of the Bible’s written tradition. The ancient papyrus and vellum pages are so fragile that the museum has to show most of them under faint and rather diffuse light, and…