- The Museum of the Bible admitted this week that it showcased fake Dead Sea Scrolls in its massive collection.
- The $500 million private Museum of the Bible opened last November, filled with artifacts and recreations of Biblical stories.
- Hobby Lobby’s president – who paid $3 million in a case involving smuggling artifacts in 2017 – is one of the driving forces behind the museum.
- The museum has been plagued by questions about how it will balance religion and facts.
A new scandal is plaguing the Museum of the Bible.
On Monday, the $500 million private museum admitted that third-party testing of what had been displayed as fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls revealed the artifacts were fake and likely modern forgeries. Five fragments have been removed from the museum as a result.
The Museum of the Bible opened in November 2017 in Washington, DC.
Even prior to its opening, the private museum had been plagued by questions regarding how it would balance religious messages and historical facts.
Things were further complicated when news broke in July 2017 that the museum chairman and Hobby Lobby president Steve Green had been involved in smuggling ancient Iraqi artifacts into the United States. The museum has also faced backlash on certain exhibits, such as the decision to display the Confederate flag and pro-slavery texts in an attempt to understand the Bible's role in the Civil War.
Here's everything you need to know about the controversial museum:
The Museum of the Bible is located in a 430,000-square-foot center in Washington, DC.
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Construction on the museum began in 2015.
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Source: PBS
The museum is located two blocks from the National Mall.
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The Museum of the Bible hosts 40,000 biblical and religious artifacts, such as this Gospel Book from 17th-century Turkey.
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Bibles on display range from the world's largest Bible to Elvis Presley's personal Bible.
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Green's collection alone includes Babe Ruth's Bible and the world's largest collection of Torah scrolls.
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According to a statement from the Museum of the Bible, none of the artifacts identified in the $3 million smuggling settlement have ever been part of the museum’s collection.
The first exhibit to arrive at the museum was a 3,200-pound replica of the Liberty Bell that had to be lowered into the building while it was still under construction.
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Other exhibits touch on topics including slavery, abolition, and the civil rights movement.
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Source: The Associated Press
Exhibits use design and technology to put a new spin on biblical stories and history.
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An illustration of the Sea of Galilee and other biblical sites attempts to bring the narrative to life for visitors.
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In addition to exhibits, the museum has a restaurant that serves foods from the Bible, with the menu changing based on season and regional focuses.
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The museum will also be home to a "biblical garden."
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Visitors walk through 40-foot-tall bronze doors covered in biblical verses.
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Unlike many of Washington, DC's museums, the Museum of the Bible is privately funded, with much of its backing coming from the Green family.
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"As many people as we can educate about this book, the better," Green told the Washington Post in 2014. "I think seeing the biblical foundations of our nation — for our legislators to see that, that a lot of that was biblically based, that we have religious freedoms today, which are a biblical concept, it can’t hurt being there."
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Source: The Washington Post
The fact that the museum is privately funded has raised concerns that it will focus on the Bible exclusively from a Christian perspective, promoting a specific evangelical interpretation of the Bible over an academic one.
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Museum of the Bible workers have said these criticisms are baseless, noting that the Israel Antiquities Authority is partners with the museum.
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Source: Fox News
"There's just a basic need for people to read the book," Green told the Associated Press. "This book has had an impact on our world and we just think people ought to know it and hopefully they'll be inspired to engage with it after they come here."
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Source: The Associated Press
At the same time, Green has pushed for public schools to introduce a Bible curriculum, and he wrote in his book there is "only one interpretation" of the Bible.
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Source: The Associated Press
The opening ceremony of the museum promoted an interfaith message, with guests including dignitaries, a rabbi, and two Roman Catholic cardinals bearing a message from Pope Francis.
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Source: The Associated Press