Page 15 - Holyland Magazine - 2025 Edition

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
The Magdala Stone on display at the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute,
2025. Carved around the turn of the era,
this limestone block would have served as a
ceremonial table or platform for the Torah or other
sacred scrolls in the synagogue. Photo: courtesy
of Running Subway in partnership with Israel
Antiquities Authority
1950s, with other seasons of digging
continuing up to the present. One of the
most interesting discoveries was the system
that channeled waters from the hills to the
settlement. From the non-biblical texts
discovered at Qumran, a hyper-concern
on purity makes the need for water to fill
the many miqvaot (ritual baths) at the site
essential.
Today, Qumran has become a major tourist
site. The gift shops are full of products from
the Dead Sea and one can sample local
produce, like dates. A visit here usually pairs
with a trip to Ein Gedi (where David fled from
Saul in 1 Samuel 24) and Masada (the desert
palace retreat of Herod the Great and the
place of the final siege of the Great Revolt
against the Romans, in AD 73).
During a trip to the Holy Land, one should
also visit the Shrine of the Book at the Israel
Museum in Jerusalem. This is the home of the
Dead Sea Scrolls today and where some of the
scrolls from the first cave are displayed. These
scrolls also happen to be some of the best
preserved, especially the Great Isaiah Scroll
that was found in Cave 1, a facsimile of which
is exhibited. Besides seeing the Shrine of the
Book, the Israel Museum has so many treasures
from the world of biblical archaeology. Be sure
to give yourself time to enjoy.
For those who want a sneak peek at the Dead
Sea region and to experience some pre-trip
learning about the scrolls, the Israel Antiquities places to encounter the lives of ancient kings,
Authority is currently traveling to a Dead
Sea Scrolls exhibit in the United States. Two
museums were chosen to host this exhibit:
the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and
Museum near Los Angeles and Museum of
the Bible (MOTB) in Washington, DC. The
exhibition at MOTB will run from November
22, 2025, through September 7, 2026.
This exhibition features three rotations of
Dead Sea Scrolls and hundreds of artifacts
that contextualize that time and region.
Two additional highlights of the exhibition
are the Magdala Stone and artifacts from
Masada. The former was found at the site
of the hometown of Mary Magdalene.
This stone table was used in a first-century
The entrance to the famous Cave 4 at Qumran,
which yielded the remains of almost 600
manuscripts. Photo: courtesy of Shutterstock
synagogue, most likely to support Torah
Scrolls for reading, and features detailed
carvings of the temple.
The remains from Masada illustrate the
amazing engineering by Herod the Great
and the tragic ending of the rebel group
that was conquered by the Roman Tenth
Legion. During the 1960s when Masada was
first excavated, the storehouses that were
among the ruins still had food in them for
archaeologists to research. Dates, walnuts,
pomegranates, wheat, and barley were
some of the foods discovered.
The Dead Sea region offers so many exciting
rebels, shepherds, and scribes. Despite the
number of tourists, the feeling of being away
from civilization at Qumran and other places
along the shore of the Dead Sea helps visitors
step back into the world of the Bible. On a
very hot day, which is most days, respect
increases for the people who left the hills
around Jerusalem to live in this region. After
an exciting day at Qumran and other sites
along the western shore of the Dead Sea, you
will be glad to enjoy the air-conditioned bus
✦on your journey back to Jerusalem!
HOLY LAND l 15