Museum of the Bible

Museum of the Bible

The Museum of the Bible is a museum in Washington, D.C., United States. It is owned by Museum of the Bible, Inc., a nonprofit Christian organization started in 2010 by the Green family. The museum tells the story and history of the Bible. It opened in November 2017 and shows around 1,500 objects and artifacts that span over 4,000 years of history.

Carlos A. Campo has been in charge of the museum since he became CEO in June 2024. In 2024, the museum welcomed 453,000 visitors, bringing the total number of people who have visited to more than 3 million.

Even though the museum says it is not tied to any specific religious group and "is not political, and it will not try to change people’s beliefs," the members of its board agree to a statement about the truth of the Bible.

Before the museum opened, there were questions about how some of its collection was obtained, including a legal case about smuggled Iraqi antiquities. The museum’s opening ceremony received a special pontifical blessing from Pope Francis.

Visitors to the Museum of the Bible pay to get in, and the museum has several places where people can eat.

History

The Museum of the Bible was started as a nonprofit group in 2010. In 2012, they chose a building for it. The building is two blocks from the National Mall in Washington D.C. It was built in 1923. The main supporters of the museum were Hobby Lobby and its owners, the Green family, along with the National Christian Foundation.

The museum cost about $400 million to build. Workers fixed up the old building and added two new floors and a rooftop garden. The museum opened to the public on November 17, 2017. Special guests at the opening included Pope Francis, who sent a special message of support.

Exhibits

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., shows around 1,500 objects and artifacts from 4,000 years of history. Bible scholar David Trobisch helped choose the items and plan the exhibits. Each of the six floors focuses on different parts of the Bible’s history and influence.

The first floor has ancient items and modern technology, including a virtual reality tour of places like the Sea of Galilee and the Temple Mount. The second floor shows how the Bible influenced science, justice, freedom, and American history. The third floor tells the Bible’s story from Abraham to Jesus and the early church, with a large section on Jewish Bibles. The fourth floor explores biblical history and archaeology. The fifth floor has a theater for lectures and performances, and the sixth floor offers a rooftop view of the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol, along with special exhibits and a garden with plants mentioned in the Bible.

In September 2024, the museum opened a special exhibit called "The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith." This exhibit includes a mosaic floor from the 3rd century A.D. found in northern Israel.

Manuscript collection

The Museum of the Bible has a special group of old books and papers. Some of these are very old, like the Dishna Papers from the 3rd or 4th century, and others are from later times, such as the Lipnice Bible from 1421. These items help us learn about life and beliefs from long ago.

Reception

Historians Kelly Gannon and Kimberly Wagner liked the Museum of the Bible for its design, technology, and big collection of items. But they thought the museum mixed history, religious ideas, and modern fun in a way that made its purpose unclear.

The museum changed its early mission statement to focus more on inviting people to explore the Bible through exhibits and learning.

Some experts liked that the museum included different religious views and created a fun cultural experience. Others thought the museum’s story focused too much on some religious ideas and American history.

Even with different opinions, many agree the museum has a lot to see and learn, making history and the Bible interesting for visitors.

Controversies

Hobby Lobby smuggling scandal

Main article: Hobby Lobby smuggling scandal

Some items brought into the United States by Hobby Lobby came from ancient Iraq. These items were sometimes said to be simple tiles to avoid questions. In 2017, Hobby Lobby had to return more than 5,500 items and pay a fine of $3 million.

The Museum of the Bible said these items were never part of their collection. In 2018, the items were sent back to Iraq, and the company paid the fine.

In 2019, it was found that some very old Bible pieces had been sold to the people who own the museum. The museum agreed to return these pieces.

The museum’s leader, Steve Green, also leads Hobby Lobby stores. He said the museum will return many old items to Egypt and Iraq.

One famous item was a part of an old story called the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was taken from Iraq long ago and was bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014. In 2019, the United States returned this item to Iraq.

Dead Sea Scrolls forgeries

The museum’s founder gave pieces of old paper called the Dead Sea Scrolls to the museum. But some experts said these pieces might not be real. The museum asked German experts to check them. The museum said scholars were still debating if they were real.

In 2018, the museum found out that five of the pieces were not real and took them off display. By March 2020, all the pieces shown at the museum were proven to be made recently.