Christians who’ve only dreamed of seeing such priceless treasures as the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient biblical texts now have a chance to do just that — by taking a quick trip to Huntsville.
Huntsville’s Von Braun Center is hosting “Dead Sea Scrolls to the Forbidden Book,” a museum exhibition that tells the story of how the Bible evolved from early writing to its appearance in modern-day English.
The exhibition’s highlights are the Dead Sea Scroll fragments (including portions of Gen. and Isa.), but it also includes such extraordinary artifacts as a 5,000-year-old pictograph clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia, a 2,600-year-old scroll containing the oldest known Hebrew writing, the earliest known written example of the Hebrew name for God (Elohim), a Wycliffe Bible from the 15th century, a 1611 first edition King James Bible, and many more items. The exhibit will be in Huntsville through Jan. 30.
Baptist leaders in the Huntsville area said they are thrilled with the opportunity to see such important Christian artifacts up close and they are encouraging church members to view the exhibition.
According to John Long, director of missions for Madison Baptist Association, the exhibit provides a wonderful chance for Christians to become more educated about early Bible history and makes the Bible come alive for them.
“I think it is very important for people to see the Bible artifacts,” Long said. “Just to see the progression of the Hebrew language and how it has been preserved so that we could see the integrity and authenticity of the Bible account is important.”
Long said that a number of different exhibits were especially meaningful to him. “To see a clay tablet from the time of Noah is an awe-inspiring thing,” he said. “And fragments from every Old Testament book except the book of Esther can be seen in the exhibit.”
Long promoted the exhibition to all the churches in his association and said many pastors are encouraging members to participate. “I was at the ribbon cutting for the exhibit and have tried to get information about it to our churches,” he said. “Many pastors in our association have expressed an interest in the exhibition and are planning to take a group from their church.”
Jimmy Jackson, senior pastor at Whitesburg Baptist Church, is just one Huntsville minister excited about the exhibition. His church had “break-out” sessions that described the significance of the exhibition and its value to the Christian community. He has encouraged all of his members to attend the exhibition, especially stressing its importance to those with school-age children.
Both Long and Jackson said the exhibition is valuable for the way it connects Christians today with the Bible in the past and authenticates many of the stories Christians have read all their lives.
“The value of this experience is that it connects believers with the history of the Bible,” Jackson said. “It will certainly strengthen the faith of our people.”
Long agreed wholeheartedly. “To know that the biblical record was so carefully preserved for us is important for all who are serious students of the Word of God,” he said.
The highlight for many viewers of the exhibition is the collection of Dead Sea Scrolls fragments. The fragments help bring to life the exciting story of the scrolls and their significance to biblical history.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, which were discovered in 1948 in caves by the Dead Sea, are the oldest known manuscripts of the Old Testament and date back to 250 b.c. Prior to the discovery, the oldest known Hebrew copies came from the 9th and 10th centuries. There was much debate before the discovery, then, about the validity of the Old Testament. As a result, the Dead Sea Scrolls validated the Old Testament by providing manuscripts that predated Christ by 200 years.
Portions of all of the Old Testament books except Esther were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The fragments on view in Huntsville showcase the books of Genesis and Isaiah.
Jackson said the Dead Sea Scrolls are important for Christians today to understand. “The Dead Sea Scrolls authenticate the carefulness with which the various books of the Old Testament were transcribed and passed on from one generation to another,” he said. “The discovery of the Scrolls was one of the most significant archaeological finds in history.
The exhibition is located in the North Hall of the Von Braun Center through Jan. 30 and can be viewed Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon till 6 p.m.
The exhibition begins with a 20-minute video presentation that explains the history of Scripture; the video is important for understanding the entire exhibition and it is requested that visitors schedule a particular time to enter the theater for the video presentation. Once the scheduled video presentation is complete, visitors can view the exhibition on their own. To schedule a visit or for more information, call 1-877-33BIBLE or visit www.deadseaexhibit.com.
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