Shrine of the Book - Jerusalem, Israel
The Shrine of the Book is part of the Israel Museum located across from Parliament in Jerusalem, Israel. The Shrine of the Book is a wing of the Israel Museum that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Aleppo Codex and the Isaiah Scroll. The shrine is located beneath a white domed water fountain that is part of a sculpture related to the scrolls. The combination of architecture and art are incorporated seamlessly into the structure.
The sculptures and architecture of the Shrine of the Book are a reflection on the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, which is an apocalyptic text found within the scrolls that date somewhere between the second century BC and the first century AD. There are two battles within the text of this story. This battle is the epic good vs. evil, where a battle rages between the forces of light and darkness with the sons of light nearing defeat before conquering the sons of darkness with divine intervention. The sons of Light are depicted in the white dome over the Shrine of the Book. The sons of darkness are depicted with a black stone wall that faces off against the white dome.
Because the scrolls are ancient (the codex dates to the second century BC), they are kept in a climate-controlled, dimly lit structure. The scrolls are regularly rotated in order to preserve them. For that reason, the actual documents on display change every few months. Also, no flash photography is permitted inside the building. I did not take any photographs, so you have to take my word for it. There are scrolls inside the shrine. They look exactly as you would expect them to. They are in various states of tattering and yellowing. I don't read the language, so I had to rely on the placards placed at the exhibits. The interior has a round structure meant to mimic the scroll nature of the texts.
The Isaiah Scroll was likely produced by a sect known as the Essenes around the second century BC. The discovery of this incredibly well preserved document was big news in 1947. It is the oldest recorded document from the bible. It contains the book of Isaiah covering seventeen parchments. While damaged, the parchments are in amazing condition considering the two eons that have passed since their creation. The Aleppo Codex is much more recent, dating to the tenth century AD. It is a bound copy of the Hebrew bible.
It does not take long to visit the Book of the Shrine. There are gardens, historical artifacts and sculptures outside the shrine where you can take time to walk and reflect. But the entire site can be done in an hour. Admission is 36 NIS for adults, which translates to about ten dollars US.
Please be sure to visit my other adventures in Israel.
A Christian Guide to Israel
Hotels
Cinema Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel
Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
Prima Park Hotel Jerusalem, Israel
Attractions
Caesarea National Park Caesarea, Israel
Mount Precipice Mount Kedimum, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat Ride Tiberias, Israel
Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) Ginosar, Israel
Capernaum, Israel
St. Peter’s Restaurant Kinneret, Israel
Caesarea Phillipi Banias, Israel
Gadot Lookout and Memorial Golan Heights, Israel
Jordan River Baptismal Site Yardenit, Israel
Beit She’an National Park Beit She’an, Israel
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel
Garden Tomb Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Tunnels Jerusalem, Israel
Bethlehem New Store Gift Shop
Pools of Bethesda Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa Jerusalem, Israel
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
The Upper Room Jerusalem, Israel
Tomb of King David Jerusalem, Israel
Masada National Park, Masada, Israel
The Dead Sea, Masada, Israel
Churches
Discalced Carmelite Monastery Muhraqa, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation Nazareth, Israel
St. Peter’s Church Capernaum, Israel
Church of the Multiplication Tabgha, Israel
Church of the Beatitudes Tabgha, Israel
Church of All Nations Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Anne Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulcher Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank
Unless otherwise indicated, these photos are my own. They may be used with permission.
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