FAITHFUL OBSERVATIONS
Courtesy photo Bob and Jane Shillingstad at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
A door opens to the "Exodus" section inside the Museum of the Bible, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Washington. The project is largely funded by the conservative Christian owners of the Hobby Lobby crafts chain. Hobby Lobby president Steve Green says the aim is to educate not evangelize. But skeptics call the project a Christian ministry disguised as a museum. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
An exhibit discussing slavery and the Bible in the United States is displayed inside the Museum of the Bible, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Washington. The museum was built by the owners of Hobby Lobby, cost $500 million to build, covers 430,000 square feet and is a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The purpose of these articles is to highlight Christian ministries in our local area but I am taking a break this week to present a “must see” tourist destination. This is the Museum of the Bible, which opened last November in Washington, D.C., just a block off the mall and within two blocks from the Capitol. This is a privately funded museum that opened with more than 51,000 donors and the bulk of the $500 million cost coming from the Green family that owns Hobby Lobby.
My wife, Jane, and I decided to visit Washington in April to tour the city and to see this museum, which is 50 percent bigger than the Air & Space museum nearby. The biggest problem they have faced is crowds: more than 100,000 per month and it is easy to see why.
The first things you see as you walk up to the entrance are two 40-foot high bronze doors on each side that represent plates from the Gutenberg press engraved with a portion of Genesis Chapter One. Between them sits a 38-foot wall of glass, etched with Bodmer Papri text from Psalm 19. This is before you walk through the door!
You may be thinking that a privately funded museum is going to be dull and not up to snuff compared to the great museums of the Smithsonian nearby. You couldn’t be more wrong; the technology and presentations are mind boggling. Step inside and gaze up at a 40-foot high, 140-foot long and 15-foot wide electronic ceiling that can change by second, by the minute or by the hour, displaying biblical art and scenes. The 430,000-square-foot museum on six levels includes exhibits and restaurants, ballroom, theater and lower level traveling exhibits.
As you step into the elevator and press the button for the floor you want, the elevator walls immediately change into a mini-theater that prepares you for the floor you are going to. Though the museum provides areas for quiet reflection, it has no chapel, non-denominational or otherwise. No crosses or crucifixes hang on the wall. According to President Cary Summers, this is intentional. Summers says the purpose is to invite all people to engage with the Bible.
It is hard to deny the influence of the Bible in our culture, from Shakespeare to Dante to everyday sayings such as “the writing on the wall” and so much more. The museum also does this in a unique ride called “flyover Washington,” which takes you to the Supreme Court building to appreciate the sculpted marble frieze of Moses with the Ten Commandments to Union Station to view the inscription “The Truth Shall Set You Free.” Even to the Library of Congress to take a look at the biblical quotations atop its columns or the Capitol Building to admire the prayer room’s stained glass window featuring George Washington kneeling in prayer, surrounded by the words of Psalm 16.
There is also time to explore more than 3,000 artifacts, including fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a first edition of the King James Bible and a page from the Gutenberg Bible. There is a replica of the Gutenberg Press and docents in period dress to explain many exhibits as you wander through.
There are displays on Hebrew Scripture, the Scripture in Greek, early Christian writings and more. Four mini-theaters show various films about the history and impact of the Bible. There is an exhibit that allows you to “walk through” the story of the Old Testament; you are utilizing all of your senses. There is a recreated first-century village, complete with actors in the role of villagers talking about life during Jesus’s ministry. An actor calling himself Jeremiah invites visitors into a structure built to look like a synagogue.
This museum is really too much to describe in a brief article but it is a great reminder to see the roles the Bible has played in shaping the world. A trip to Washington is always a good reminder about our history and the Museum of the Bible is a great addition. You can get more information on the internet or by calling 866-430-MOTB.
We arranged a tour of the Capitol through Congressman Labrador and had a great tour with one of his interns. This is much easier than the lines at the visitors center. Certainly Mount Vernon, other new museums and monuments can be added to your “must see” list.
As you fly into Reagan National Airport and see the monuments, White House and Capitol out of the plane it is very inspiring. However, make an effort to look out the other side of the plane as you make the approach. There are green hills and trees and thousands of white grave markers at Arlington. Those are the important monuments of our freedom and a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made.