Museum of the Bible - Part V - Stories of the Bible

Stories of the Bible was one of my favorite areas of Museum of the Bible.

The area doesn't appear to be all that large from the outside, but it takes up the entirety of the third floor.

When you approach the exhibit area you have three choices to explore the stories.  You can chose the Old Testament, Galilee Village, or the New Testament.

Not knowing what we were getting into we asked the staff members present which show would be next and thankfully they steered us towards the Hebrew Bible presentation, covering the Old Testament.  This thirty-minute experience was definitely the best place to begin.

 Though it doesn't appear so from the outside, the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible period is the largest area on the floor.

I don't have any pictures of the actual presentation, so I have to start with this screenshot from the website to partially illustrate the amazing experience.

 You start by waiting for your chance to enter through this doorway.  Once you do you are in a small waiting area.

 Graphic panels around the edge of the room represent the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.

This piece of artwork illustrates the connectivity of the stories of many people that you'll find within the Old Testament, what many Jews call Tanakh.  These were the people whose story was told.  According to a snippet from Google search (sadly the page no longer exists on the MOTB website) this area is "an immersive walk-through experience based on the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. This series of walk-through scenes are theatrical environments inspired by art installations and constructed with high-tech finishes."

The above text is really is a good explanation of the experience.  You start out in a small theater that covers the beginning of history from the Creation to the Fall to the Flood.  Then you notice that the far wall of the theater has moved to expose an opening.  Everybody moves through this opening and in to the experience.  Over the course of your journey you'll sit down in several more theaters and experience several more presentations as well as time walking through artistic representations of Noah's Ark, the crossing of the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan River, and more.  It wasn't a theater show, it wasn't a mere exhibit, it truly was an amazing, artistic experience that immerses you in the world of the Old Testament and helps you to see what it was all about.  Interestingly this area does not talk about Jesus or point to passages that prefigure him in the Old Testament.  I think that most (or all) observant Jews that go through this experience would agree with everything they saw.  I had no idea what to expect when we started-only that it was to last about thirty minutes.  I'd love to back and see it again now knowing what will be coming.

After exiting the Old Testament area we headed into the Galilee Village while waiting for the New Testament experience to begin.

The area began with an explanation of the historical background to the time period in which Jesus lived and ministered.  I especially enjoyed seeing this replica of a mosaic from Pompeii.

Jews who returned from exile found themselves caught between shifting kingdoms that battled for control.  Throughout this period, Jews struggled to preserve their distinct identify among external pressures and internal differences.  Could they stay loyal to their God and Torah in this crucible?

Exile and economic opportunity prompted Jewish migration to the east.  These communities extended as far as China and India.  They also journeyed west along the shores of the Mediterranean and south to Africa.  Far away from home, Jews had to navigate between new cultures and their commitment to maintain their own identity, practices, and beliefs.  Stories like Ezra, Tobit, and Esther served as an inspiration to Jews who sought to preserve their heritage even in the face of hostility.
~from exhibit signage

 This was the period of the second temple.

It was a world that had been heavily influenced by Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia and the split of his empire upon his death.  The Hellenistic age spread Greek language and culture around the area making other spreads (such as the Gospel) easier.

 Everything was impacted by the spread of the Roman Empire across the Mediterranean world.

 As you enter the area you're immediately immersed in the surroundings of a first century village.

Flocks were very important to the area.

This 360 degree view gives you a look at the entire area, also you can see how the lights changed in a day/night cycle.

We headed back briefly to catch the show in the Galilee theater.  It was a short period piece covering John the Baptist's ministry and his conflict with Herod Antipas (portrayed by John Rhys Davies).

This loom reminded me of several at the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter, I think they're very popular historical props.

The signs were very well made.

This was an olive oil press.

Pseudo-oil lamps were throughout the area in the "inside" areas.

The well reflects the importance of water to life in the region.

Harvesting grapes followed months of hard labor: training vines, pulling weeds, pruning new growth, and maintaining stone walls.  Finally, villagers met at the vineyard, gathered the grapes, and hauled them to the winepress.  They sang and danced while stomping grapes into juice.  Pulling from this long-standing annual celebration, the biblical prophet Amos envisioned a coming day of restoration that would be like a great harvest when the "mountains would 'drip sweet wine'" (Amos 9:13-15).
~from exhibit signage

Here is a video that Museum of the Bible just posted about this area.

Just outside the Nazareth Village area is the New Testament theater experience.  Starting with John the Baptist the video tells the stories of early followers of Jesus and how they turned into the church--including Paul's persecution of the church and his conversion.

The posters illustrating different biblical characters were especially interesting.

Tomorrow's post will be a short one covering lunch.

~Matt