Viewers marvel at Dead Sea Scroll exhibit in Milwaukee
Meghan Carpenter
Issue date: 2/24/10 Section: Entertainment
The Milwaukee Public Museum is clearly excited to play host to one of the greatest exhibits to enter its walls. "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Ancient Artifacts and Timeless Treasures" is the title; with plenty of books and artifacts surrounding the museum, you'll easily get your fix on one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
The Dead Sea Scroll exhibit is the largest to enter the Milwaukee Public Museum, and no wonder, since it takes the average observer almost two hours to fully comprehend. Each corner contains ancient artifacts that are, suffice to say, simply mesmerizing. There's everything from pottery and cosmetic instruments from the first century, to the tablet containing Gabriel's Revelation and the 24-foot long scroll containing the book of Isaiah. Milwaukee is thrilled to have the exhibit for nearly four months within its grasp.
The exhibit describes the Scrolls as "ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves near Khirbet Qumran by G. Lankester Harding and Father Roland de Vaux, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea." With roughly 900 documents discovered in fragments throughout 11 caves, the scrolls are said to, "…contain some of the oldest-known copies of biblical books, as well as hymns, prayers and other important writings."
The museum's Web site describes the significance of the scrolls. "The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures linking us to the ancient Middle East and to the formative years of Judaism and Christianity. More than 200 biblical manuscripts are more than 1,000 years older than any previously known copies of the Hebrew Bible. In addition, there are scrolls that appear to represent a distinct form of Judaism that did not survive the Roman destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE. These 'sectarian scrolls' reveal a fascinating stage of transition between the ancient religion of the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism, as well as the faith that would become the world's largest, Christianity. Both of these traditions, in turn, influence Islam."
There were three kinds of scrolls discovered; many related to or containing Biblical texts, there were other Jewish religious texts, and Sectarian scrolls that help experts better understand the daily lives of people during the first century.
The Milwaukee museum contains more than just fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a room left for the end of the tour containing many variations of the Bible, including a page out of a Gutenberg Bible, the first books ever printed in the fifteenth century. Some other versions that were provided are a near first-edition copy of the King James Bible and many others that have survived throughout centuries.
But without a doubt the most crowded room was the silent, displaying actual fragments of the scrolls written nearly 2000 years ago and an exact facsimile of the Book of Isaiah. Marveled by the delicateness and fragility of the words, the only thing being said in the room, in awe, was "imagine…"
The Dead Sea Scroll exhibit is the largest to enter the Milwaukee Public Museum, and no wonder, since it takes the average observer almost two hours to fully comprehend. Each corner contains ancient artifacts that are, suffice to say, simply mesmerizing. There's everything from pottery and cosmetic instruments from the first century, to the tablet containing Gabriel's Revelation and the 24-foot long scroll containing the book of Isaiah. Milwaukee is thrilled to have the exhibit for nearly four months within its grasp.
The exhibit describes the Scrolls as "ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves near Khirbet Qumran by G. Lankester Harding and Father Roland de Vaux, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea." With roughly 900 documents discovered in fragments throughout 11 caves, the scrolls are said to, "…contain some of the oldest-known copies of biblical books, as well as hymns, prayers and other important writings."
The museum's Web site describes the significance of the scrolls. "The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures linking us to the ancient Middle East and to the formative years of Judaism and Christianity. More than 200 biblical manuscripts are more than 1,000 years older than any previously known copies of the Hebrew Bible. In addition, there are scrolls that appear to represent a distinct form of Judaism that did not survive the Roman destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE. These 'sectarian scrolls' reveal a fascinating stage of transition between the ancient religion of the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism, as well as the faith that would become the world's largest, Christianity. Both of these traditions, in turn, influence Islam."
There were three kinds of scrolls discovered; many related to or containing Biblical texts, there were other Jewish religious texts, and Sectarian scrolls that help experts better understand the daily lives of people during the first century.
The Milwaukee museum contains more than just fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a room left for the end of the tour containing many variations of the Bible, including a page out of a Gutenberg Bible, the first books ever printed in the fifteenth century. Some other versions that were provided are a near first-edition copy of the King James Bible and many others that have survived throughout centuries.
But without a doubt the most crowded room was the silent, displaying actual fragments of the scrolls written nearly 2000 years ago and an exact facsimile of the Book of Isaiah. Marveled by the delicateness and fragility of the words, the only thing being said in the room, in awe, was "imagine…"
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