The Shrine of the Book and the Dead Sea Scrolls
(c) Israel Museum, Jerusalem
The Shrine of the Book is a wing in the Israel Museum with a unique design. It is set to display the most important archaeological discovery in the Holy Land – The Dead Sea Scrolls.
History of the Shrine of the Book
In the winter of 1946-7, two Bedouins sold an antiquity dealer in Bethlehem ancient scrolls they found in a cave near the Dead Sea. Later, Professor Sukenik of the Hebrew University examined them and acknowledged they are 2,000-year-old Jewish documents. Becoming headlines worldwide, both archaeologists and treasure hunters conducted an intensive survey of the region in the following decade for more scrolls. In 1965, Israel decided to present the Scrolls it obtained in a special wing of the newly established Israel Museum. Two architects who teamed up for its design – A.M. Bartos and F.J. Kiesler. They formed a structure that is considered a landmark of twentieth-century museum architecture.
Symbolism in the Building’s Design
The white-tiled dome over the main display is shaped like the lid of the jars in which some of the scrolls were found. The entrance is beneath a black Basalt Wall and a passage resonating a deep cave. The scrolls on display rotate, but they always present a combination of sectarian writings and copies of the Old Testament. These scrolls are the oldest copies of the Bible ever found.
Danny “the Digger” Herman presenting the Shrine of the Book on “The Watchman” show –
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christianity
Although the Dead Sea Scrolls do not contain copies of the New Testament, they reflect a community that shared many values with the early Christians. Both rejected the temple in Jerusalem, related to prayer, used water in their rituals, and anticipated a messiah. Furthermore, many scholars believe John the Baptist was a member of the Dead Sea Scrolls community for a certain period.
A tour of the Israel Museum can be combined in a day tour of Jerusalem.
