In our core itinerary, we focus on the Shrine of the Book, which appears at once. Its white-tiled dome is shaped like the top of the first jar in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Opposite stands a wall of black stone. The contrast suggests the strong dualism of the Scrolls, one of which has been dubbed by scholars "The War of the Children of Light Against the Children of Darkness."

After descending some steps, we enter an antechamber with displays on Hebrew script, the process of unrolling the scrolls and a map showing where they were found. The building is constructed like a cave: we go into a narrow hall, where the exhibit changes occasionally. At its end, on both sides, are two of the first jars in which the scrolls were discovered. Then we enter the circular hall beneath the dome. Around a drum in the center is a modern copy of Isaiah, complete.

All the scrolls on the sides of the hall are selected from the actual ones that were found. They are made of fine lambskin, scraped and cut and sewn together. After etching guidelines, the scribe hung his letters from them.

On the significance of these scrolls and the group that made them, see the following:

Qumran (Introduction)

Essenes

The Scrolls and the Bible

Qumran as a site

The Shrine usually includes the following scrolls in its display:

·       The Manual of Discipline (or Community Rule). This is the rule book of the group (probably the Essenes). The text contains many emendations.

·       The War of the Children of Light against the Children of Darkness. Although the scroll has been eaten here and there, the writing is very fine.

·       The parchment from a set of phylacteries found at Qumran.

·       A part of the Temple Scroll. This was the longest found - 27 feet. It is also the best preserved. The community must have regarded it as sacred, for here God speaks in the first person, giving instructions for the proper way in which His Temple should be built.

·       A psalm of David that did not get into the canon.

·       Several chapters from Isaiah. Many exemplars from this prophet were found, including the complete book. Often the Shrine will show the transition from Isaiah 39 to 40, which some scholars take as the transition from a first to a second Isaiah. In the scroll there is no distinguishing mark or break.

A flight of steps leads down to another chamber. Here we jump forward almost seventy years to 135 AD. At the end of the second revolt against Rome, led by Bar Kokhba , the rebels living near the Dead Sea sought refuge in a cave in Wadi Murabba'at (Nahal Hever). The Romans besieged them. As early as 1951, Beduin entered the cave and discovered fragments of letters in Hebrew. These came to the attention of Israeli archaeologists, who made a full-scale expedition in 1960. They found skulls and bones, all carefully deposited in a niche, as well as the rebels' most precious possessions, which they had carried into hiding with them: their house keys, cosmetics, legal documents, bronze vessels they had captured from the Romans (rubbing out the images), and an extraordinary glass plate, which survived unbroken the ravages of time. Except for the documents, these things are visible in this chamber.

The Israel Museum maintains its own Web site. 

Logistics for a visit:

The opening hours have recently changed and may change again. Phone (02) 6708811.

The most recent posted hours are as follows:

Sunday, closed.

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10:00-16:00.

Tuesday, 16:00-21:00. (Shrine of the Book from 10:00)

Thursday, 10:00-21:00

Friday, 10:00-14:00

Photography is permitted outside the buildings only. Large bags must be checked (for free) in the main part of the museum.

There is an admission fee.

© 2003 Near East Tourist Agency (NET)

Text © 2003 Stephen Langfur

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