The nation’s capital is known to be the home of many very old documents like the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Emancipation Proclamation.
But for the next several months, some of the oldest religious texts in history will also be in D.C. — numerous pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls are now in the Museum of the Bible.
If you know Hebrew, you will be able to read the 2,000-year-old scripture written on the scrolls displayed at the “Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition.”
It is the only stop for the scrolls on the east coast for the 75th anniversary celebration of their discovery.
“This is the first time the scrolls have been here in D.C. for many, many, years, several decades, and it’s exciting to have them back here in Washington, D.C.,” Bobby Duke, the chief curatorial officer at Museum of the Bible told WTOP.
The scroll fragments were discovered between 1947 and 1956 and are the oldest known editions of the Old Testament. They were uncovered in several caves near Qumran, Israel, located on the northwestern edge of the Dead Sea.
The texts are aged from third century B.C.E. and first century C.E.
“These are our oldest biblical manuscripts ever discovered, and they pushed back our knowledge of the biblical text in some passages over 1,000 years,” Duke said.
“I would say the Dead Sea Scrolls are the greatest archaeological discovery of all time, just because these biblical texts still impact people’s lives today,” he continued.
When visitors arrive at the exhibit, they first see a recreation of the site where these scrolls were found. Then they are given a brief history of the discovery, before strolling into the dim exhibit hall where the scrolls.
Controlling light is crucial in preserving the two-millennia-old texts that are primarily written on animal skins or papyrus. Duke said they have it “down to the minute of how much light exposure they have.”
Among some of the scrolls currently on display is one of the earliest known copies of the Ten Commandments.
“I think our most significant text is a Genesis fragment that actually preserves the first lines of the book of Genesis,” Duke said. “This is one of the oldest copies of the very first lines of the Bible.”
A copy of a temple scroll, which tells the story of Deuteronomy written in the first person, a fragmented copy of Job, an astronomical scroll of Enoch and even a scroll that described a battle between the ancient Hebrews and the “Kittim,” believed to be a cipher for the Romans who occupied the region at the time.
Each scroll can only be on display for three months before they are taken back to Israel to hibernate in a temperature and light-controlled facility for five years. The scrolls currently on display will leave February and new scrolls will arrive.
The exhibit also explains how the scrolls have been deciphered over the years.
“Because we’ve even had wonderful jumps in science and how scrolls are researched. The early scroll scholars in the 1950s would sit around with their cigarettes, holding the fragments by their hand,” Duke said.
Now scanning these documents can digitally unfold them without ever having to disturb the delicate scrolls.
Preserving these important religious documents is key and Duke said the Israel Antiquities Authority which usually houses the scrolls has perfected the science of preservation.
“We want people five decades, 10 decades, 20 decades, generations from now, to still have access to these important texts,” Duke said.
The Dead Sea Scrolls will be on display until next September.
Tickets for the exhibit can be added to a ticket purchase for the Museum of the Bible.
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