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 missionary organization started in 2010 by the Green family. The museum tells the story, history, and influence of the Bible. It opened its doors on November 17, 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 and thousands of clay items, as well as where some of its displays came from. 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 created as a nonprofit group in 2010. In 2012, the building where it would be placed was chosen. It is located two blocks from the National Mall in Washington D.C., in a building that 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 carefully restored 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, believed to be from one of the earliest Christian worship sites.

Manuscript collection

The Museum of the Bible has a special collection 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 how people lived and what they believed long ago.

Reception

Historians Kelly Gannon and Kimberly Wagner praised the Museum of the Bible for its beautiful design, impressive technology, and large collection of items. However, they felt the museum was a mix of history, religious ideas, and modern attractions, which made its purpose a bit unclear.

The museum faced some criticism for its early mission statement, which was later changed to focus on inviting people to explore the Bible through exhibits and learning.

Some experts appreciated the museum's efforts to include different religious views and create a cultural experience. Others felt the museum told a story that focused too much on certain religious ideas and American history.

Despite different opinions, many agree the museum offers a lot to see and learn, making history and the Bible engaging and interesting for visitors.

Controversies

Hobby Lobby smuggling scandal

Main article: Hobby Lobby smuggling scandal

Some items brought into the United States by Hobby Lobby were taken from ancient Iraq. These items, made of clay and stone tablets, were sometimes said to be simple tile samples to avoid questions. In 2017, the United States made Hobby Lobby 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 taken and sold to the people who own the museum. The museum agreed to return these pieces to the group that manages them.

The museum’s leader, Steve Green, also leads Hobby Lobby stores. He said the museum will return over eleven thousand old items to Egypt and Iraq. He admitted he didn’t know much about collecting these items before, and the mistakes were justified.

One famous item was a part of an old story called the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was taken from Iraq in 1853, sold many times, and finally bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014. In 2019, the United States took this item to return it 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. Even while the tests were still happening, the museum showed these pieces. The museum said scholars were still debating if they were real.

In 2018, the museum found out that five of the sixteen pieces were not real and took them off display. By March 2020, all sixteen pieces shown at the museum were proven to be made recently. These fake pieces were part of a group of about 70 pieces that appeared in 2002, and they are also likely fake.