Dead Sea Scrolls attract attention
MONTREAL, QC-No lights. No cameras. But lots of action. When an exhibition of ancient artifacts opened in Montreal on June 17, the museum enforced strict precautionary measures to protect the stars of the show-portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The "Archeology and the Bible: From King David to the Dead Sea Scrolls" exhibition includes close to 100 artifacts belonging to the Israel Museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Several brittle pieces of parchment, discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1947 in a cave near Qumran, and known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, are attracting the most attention.
More than 800 scrolls were found over several years, including fragments of the Hebrew Bible, documents of the Essene sect of Judaism and other religious texts. James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, told the Montreal Gazette the scrolls are "perhaps the greatest cultural patrimony of the state of Israel."
Dean Barry Levy of the McGill faculty of religious studies and a rabbi, says the scrolls attract more interest from modern Christians than modern Jews.
Portions of three of the more important scrolls are on display at the exhibition now showing at the Pointe a Calliere Montreal Museum of Archeology and History. The Isaiah B scroll's fragments include text from chapters 52 through 61, on a parchment measuring 1.89 metres in length. The two other manuscripts are portions of a War Scroll and a Community Rule Scroll.
Biblical interest
Other artifacts on display are also of great interest to biblical scholars.
A piece of an old mosaic floor was unpacked and displayed with great caution by staff wearing white gloves. The mosaic depicts King David's victory over Goliath, and dates back to the 5th century AD.
A smaller and more ancient piece also relates to King David. A chunk of basalt on display bears an inscription about Ahaziahu, son of Jehoram, king of the House of David. The stone comes from the 9th century BC, around 100 years after David lived.
Other pieces include a piece of ivory carved into the shape of a pomegranate, dating to the 8th century BC and thought to be part of the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem, a silver burial amulet inscribed with verses from the Book of Numbers, and an ancient piece of opal that bears the name "Jezebel."
The exhibition will be in Montreal from June to December 2003, when it moves to the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau until April 2004.
During the absence of the scroll fragments, the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum is undergoing major renovations in order to provide a cool, dry, dark environment to preserve and display their feature attraction.
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