DeadSeaScroll*hibit
FromthediscoveryoftheearliestknownrecordedbiblicalscrollsandrelatedartifactsinthecavesabovetheDeadSea,theDeadSeaScrollshaveheldanauraofmysteryandswirledwithcontroversies.ProjectJudaicaFoundation,inpartnershipwiththeIsraelAntiquitiesAuthority(IAA),theIsraelgovernmentagencyinchargeofallthearcheologicaldigsandartifactsthroughoutIsrael,broughttheDeadSeaScrollstothepublic‘sviewwithfiveworld－clas*hibitionsheldaroundtheglobeincludingtheVatican.
TheDirectoroftheIAA,theindefatigableGeneralAmirDrori(Ret.)andtheAssistantDirector,JacobFisch,approachedthisFoundationtodeterminewhetheritwouldbepossibletocreateanddisplayanexhibitionof‘edfragmentsoftheDeadSeaScrollsattheLibraryofCongressinWashington,D.C.HavingjustcompletedanotheramazingexhibitionattheLibrary,"FromtheEndsoftheEarth,"thestagewassetforthisastoundingshow.
TheLibrarianofCongress,Dr.JamesBillington,wasimmediatelyinterestedintheexhibitionofthisscopeandagreedtoexhibittheDeadSeaScrollfragments.Twelveofthemostinterestingscrollfragmentsbecamethecoreoftheexhibitionandweresurroundedwithrelatedartifactsincludingjarsinwhichthescrollswerefoundafterbeingpreservedbythelowhumidityoftheregion.Tefillimboxesandstraps,sandalsbelievedtobelongtothescribes,coinsfromtheperiod,variouspotteryoftheperiodfromtheareaWrittenonleatherover2,000yearsagoinHebrew,GreekandAramaic,thesescrollsaretheearliestknownbiblicalmanuscripts.TheyincludeportionsofallofthefiveBooksofMosesaswellasthewritingsbytheEssenessect.
TheIAA‘srichmaterialswerecomplimentedbyspecialpiecesfromtheLibraryofCongress‘vastholdingfromtheHebraic,Map,andothercollections.TheLibrary‘sworld－classin－housestaffofconservators,curatorsandscholarsbecamedeeplyengagedinapplyingtheirskillstochoosetheitemsfromtheirdivisions.TheLibrary‘sadditionsincludedoneofthefewextantGutenbergbiblesandsomeoftheearliestknownmapswhichorientedthepublictothesitesandtheregion.ThemapsalsogaveinsightintotheviewsoftheearlypioneeringcartographersoftheFifteenthCenturyandhowtheyperceivedthelandsandeventsoftheBiblicalera.
Earlyincunabula(theearliestknownprintedbooks)andtheirlatermechanicallyprintedbooksalongwiththevariouscommentariesthroughthecenturiesallkeyedtothepassagesfromthescrollfragmentsondisplay.TheseincludedearlywritingsofPliny,PhiloandJosephusamongothersallowingcomparisonsoftextsaswellashistoricalcontexts.
Eachvenuefacedtheverydifficultissueoflightingtheexhibitwithoutendangeringthehighlysensitivescrollfragmentswhichcouldbedamagedirrevocablybyexposuretobrightlight.TheskilledstaffattheLibraryofCongresscreatedalowintensitylightingsystemwhichwasactivatedonlywhenavisitorstoodbeforethescrollfragmentcaseautomaticallyswitchingoffasthevisitormovedaway.
Thedesignstaff,augmentedbyatalentedconsultant,recreatedthefeelingsoftheperiodwithwallcoveringsemulatingthestoneofthecavesabovetheDeadSeaandthepinkstonesofJerusalemmakingthesettingtrulyunforgettable.Visitorsweredazzledbybeingabletoactuallyseeandreadthe2,000yearoldtextswhichsomanyknewfrompresent－daystudyoftheirownbiblesbyallfaiths.LargecolorphotographswithintheexhibitionmadevisitorsfeelasiftheywereactuallyenteringtheveryareaofthecavesatQumran.