Washington DC's Museum of the Bible is just three blocks from the US Capitol. The 430,000 square foot museum is considered one of the most technologically advanced and engaging museums in the world.
The museum showcases rare Bible artifacts spanning 3,500 years of history and offers visitors an immersive and personalized experience with the Bible, and its ongoing impact on the world around us.
On Thursday's 700 Club, Pat Robertson spoke with the museum's founder, Steve Green, who took Pat and the audience on a virtual tour of the museum, beginning with a demonstration of a replica of the Gutenberg printing press, considered one of the most influential inventions of human history, and Life magazine called the printing of the Bible the most important event of the millennium.
"What's important to note is that it wasn't the Gutenberg press that made Life magazine's list of 100 most important events, it was Gutenberg prints the Bible. That was the number one item they came up with that was the biggest impact for a millennium."
The Prayer at Valley Forge
Around the corner from the Gutenberg press display is an original painting called The Prayer at Valley Forge, painted in 1975 by Arnold Friberg, and on loan to the museum by the artist's son. It depicts George Washington kneeling in prayer and is one of the best-known depictions of the faith of America's first president.
"It's one of the most photographed spots we have in the museum because of the iconic picture it represents," Green said.
Scripture in Aramaic, the Language Jesus Spoke
Green showed one of the museum's many biblical artifacts and texts on display, a portion of scripture in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. He said this particular scroll was written some 400 years after the time of Christ's earthly ministry and is thought to be the largest portion of scripture in Aramaic in the world.
From there, Green took Pat on a virtual tour of a replica of the ancient village of Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up and lived much of his life.
Nazareth Village Replica
"Many of His teachings were based on the places he lived and the culture he was surrounded with," he said. "So this is a way of trying to understand a little bit more of the parables and some of the teachings that Jesus taught where in this city, we have a typical home, a carpenter's shop, an olive press, a wine press, what a kitchen would have looked like. We have a synagogue like would have been built in Nazareth where Jesus grew up," he said.
Dead Sea Scroll Book of Isaiah
Among the ancient Bible artifacts on display is a replica of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls containing the entire book of Isaiah. The original is housed in Israel. Green calls it "an incredible artifact," because the scroll pre-dates Jesus by about 100 years. "And it clearly, in Isaiah 53, is pointing to Christ, predicting His coming," Green said.
"And there are five writers of the New Testament who say Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah 53," he went on. "One of those is Luke who was telling us at the Last Supper Jesus said, 'I must fulfill what was written about me, I was numbered with the transgressors,' and He is quoting Isaiah 53."
The Museum of the Bible is a four-story, 430,000 square-foot space in the heart of the nation's capital. Foder's Travel calls it one of the top DC museums, and says it "breaks the mold of museum exhibiting." If you're planning a trip to Washington, DC, be sure to check it out. Ticket information and other details can be found here.
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