Page 15 - Holyland Magazine - 2025 Edition
P. 15

Shrine of the Book, the museum dedicated to the
Dead Sea Scrolls. The ceiling mimics the shape of
the jars used to store some of the scrolls that were
found in some of the Qumran caves.
Photo: courtesy of Shutterstock

                                                      with a trip to Ein Gedi (where David fled from      The entrance to the famous Cave 4 at Qumran,
                                                      Saul in 1 Samuel 24) and Masada (the desert         which yielded the remains of almost 600
                                                      palace retreat of Herod the Great and the           manuscripts. Photo: courtesy of Shutterstock
                                                      place of the final siege of the Great Revolt
                                                      against the Romans, in AD 73).

The Magdala Stone on display at the Ronald            During a trip to the Holy Land, one should          synagogue, most likely to support Torah
Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute,         also visit the Shrine of the Book at the Israel     Scrolls for reading, and features detailed
2025. Carved around the turn of the era,              Museum in Jerusalem. This is the home of the        carvings of the temple.
this limestone block would have served as a           Dead Sea Scrolls today and where some of the        The remains from Masada illustrate the
ceremonial table or platform for the Torah or other   scrolls from the first cave are displayed. These    amazing engineering by Herod the Great
sacred scrolls in the synagogue. Photo: courtesy      scrolls also happen to be some of the best          and the tragic ending of the rebel group
of Running Subway in partnership with Israel          preserved, especially the Great Isaiah Scroll       that was conquered by the Roman Tenth
Antiquities Authority                                 that was found in Cave 1, a facsimile of which      Legion. During the 1960s when Masada was
                                                      is exhibited. Besides seeing the Shrine of the      first excavated, the storehouses that were
1950s, with other seasons of digging                  Book, the Israel Museum has so many treasures       among the ruins still had food in them for
continuing up to the present. One of the              from the world of biblical archaeology. Be sure     archaeologists to research. Dates, walnuts,
most interesting discoveries was the system           to give yourself time to enjoy.                     pomegranates, wheat, and barley were
that channeled waters from the hills to the           For those who want a sneak peek at the Dead         some of the foods discovered.
settlement. From the non-biblical texts               Sea region and to experience some pre-trip          The Dead Sea region offers so many exciting
discovered at Qumran, a hyper-concern                 learning about the scrolls, the Israel Antiquities  places to encounter the lives of ancient kings,
on purity makes the need for water to fill            Authority is currently traveling to a Dead          rebels, shepherds, and scribes. Despite the
the many miqvaot (ritual baths) at the site           Sea Scrolls exhibit in the United States. Two       number of tourists, the feeling of being away
essential.                                            museums were chosen to host this exhibit:           from civilization at Qumran and other places
                                                      the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and          along the shore of the Dead Sea helps visitors
Today, Qumran has become a major tourist              Museum near Los Angeles and Museum of               step back into the world of the Bible. On a
site. The gift shops are full of products from        the Bible (MOTB) in Washington, DC. The             very hot day, which is most days, respect
the Dead Sea and one can sample local                 exhibition at MOTB will run from November           increases for the people who left the hills
produce, like dates. A visit here usually pairs       22, 2025, through September 7, 2026.                around Jerusalem to live in this region. After
                                                      This exhibition features three rotations of         an exciting day at Qumran and other sites
                                                      Dead Sea Scrolls and hundreds of artifacts          along the western shore of the Dead Sea, you
                                                      that contextualize that time and region.            will be glad to enjoy the air-conditioned bus
                                                      Two additional highlights of the exhibition
                                                      are the Magdala Stone and artifacts from            ✦on your journey back to Jerusalem!
                                                      Masada. The former was found at the site
                                                      of the hometown of Mary Magdalene.
                                                      This stone table was used in a first-century

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