Books Of The Bible Go On Display
By Naiwrita, Gaea News NetworkSunday, March 7, 2010
MINNESOTA (GaeaTimes.com)- The Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the existing oldest known literary works in the world, are going to be put on display at the Science Museum at Minnesota. They will be there at the museum for the next seven months, forming the main part of the special display, aptly titled “Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed The World.” The oldest known books of the Bible, they would be on display along with many ancient artifacts. The Dead Sea Scrolls, along with the artifacts, have been borrowed by the Science Museum of Minnesota from the Israeli Antiquities Authority.
Considered to be the most ancient of the written Biblical texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls form those books of the Bible that is now known as the Old Testament. The whole collection of the Dead Sea Scrolls date back to about the first century, making it almost 2000 years to when they were first written. Moreover, they are written on organic material, goat skin, a fact that makes them even more fragile. Therefore, all the caution exercised by the Israeli Antiquities Authority before and after they agreed to lend the Scrolls can well be comprehended.
According to the security chief of the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, Frank Petersen, the scroll need to be very carefully handled, given their age. The Dead Sea Scrolls arrived at Minnesota after making several high surveillance stops. In the Science Museum of Minnesota, they would be kept in the most sophisticated of cases, with extra security provided. In fact, only five fragments of the oldest books of the Bible are going to go on display every ten weeks.
