GRAND RAPIDS, USA, February 24, 2003 — They've come a long way from the arid caves at Qumran, where they were placed with care, more than 2,000 years ago. Discovered in 1947, the surviving fragments of simple animal skins and papyrus, some no bigger than a finger nail, have been studied by archaeologists and scholars, and pieced together with painstaking precision. They've been catalogued, translated and preserved. Now, for the first time in three years, portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are once again on American soil.
The priceless set of ancient biblical manuscripts went on display, February 16 at The Public Museum of Grand Rapids, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made up of over 100,000 fragments
The entire collection of what has become known as 'The Dead Sea Scrolls' is made up of over 100,000 fragments pieced together into more than 900 individual documents. According to the museum's Web site, the exhibit includes actual fragments of 12 of the scrolls, which come from caves 4 and 11 at the Qumran site. The Israel Antiquities Authority loaned the documents to the museum for display along with artefacts from the settlement of Qumran, which was located near the caves where the scrolls were discovered.
Scholars believe the scrolls were created by the Essene sect, a monastic brotherhood of Jews that broke away from mainstream Judaism to live a communal life in the desert. Their community, Qumran, was located near the northwestern coast of the Dead Sea.
The biblical text of the scrolls comes from the Old Testament
Most of the scrolls were written in Hebrew and Aramaic, with some written in Greek. The biblical text of the scrolls is of the Hebrew Bible only, (the Christian Old Testament).
This is a costly undertaking for the museum, which has reportedly spent $1.2 million (US) to stage the show. Climate-controlled showcases had to be built specifically to house the scroll fragments while on display. Security has also been increased for the event.
In a February 13 report by Associated Press, Timothy Chester, director of the Grand Rapids Museum says he expects the upcoming exhibition to attract about 225,000 visitors during its 3 1/2 month stay at the organization's Van Andel Museum Centre. If his estimate is correct, says the AP report, the scrolls will qualify as the most successful temporary exhibit in the city-owned museum's 149-year history.
Tickets cost $14 for adults, $13 for seniors and $10.50 for ages 17 and under. The exhibit ends June 1.
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