The Dead Sea Scrolls Arrive at the San Diego Natural History Museum

After decorating billboards all over town for the past year, the Dead Sea Scrolls are finally here—or rather, at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

What are they? How did they get here? And, more importantly, why should you be among the 400,000 plus visitors that are expected to make the trip to Balboa Park to see them?

Some (Natural) History

If you haven’t spent the majority of your life in a cave—like the ones where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered—you’re probably aware the scrolls represent the greatest archaeological link to the Middle East and the formative years of Judaism and Christianity. In 1947, a Bedouin sheep-herder stumbled on to a cave containing scrolls near the site of the ancient settlement of Qumran, located on the northwest slope of the Dead Sea in what is today the West Bank of Israel.

Ten more caves were discovered before 1956, bringing 850 documents total to light. These comprised the oldest known books of the Hebrew Bible, as well as prayers, hymns, commentaries, and non-canonical religious texts (i.e. books that didn’t make it into the Bible). The scrolls range in date from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is exhibiting 27 of these scrolls, 10 for the first time ever, during the course of a six-month-long blockbuster exhibition that runs June 29 to December 31, 2007.

Why San Diego Scored the Scrolls

So how did San Diego’s own Natural History Museum land what is billed as the largest and most comprehensive presentation of the Dead Sea Scrolls ever assembled?

When the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation approached the SDNHM about hosting an exhibition, the museum’s executive director, Mick Hager, agreed to do so on the condition that they could put together “the biggest and best exhibition of the scrolls to date,” according to the SDNHM’s communications specialist, Jessica Holmes Chatigny.

Among other reasons Jessica cites for the scrolls coming to San Diego:

• The biggest gathering of international Biblical scholars in the world will take place in San Diego this fall.
• San Diego has a climate similar to Israel, which is crucial to the preservation of the scrolls.
• There are more Dead Sea Scrolls scholars in Southern California than anywhere else in the world, including Israel (go figure).
• The museum’s state-of-the-art facility offers proximity to potential visitors from both sides of the border.

Like a Pink Floyd reunion concert, the San Diego Natural History Museum’s show brings together scrolls from Israeli and Jordanian museums for the first time in 60 years, notably the earliest known and most substantial book of Psalms, a 2nd-century BC book of Deuteronomy, which has never been on public display, and the only scroll inscribed on copper (all the others are on leather parchment). Because the Israel Antiquities Authority only allows the scrolls to be on view for three months for the sake of preservation, only 15 scrolls will be on exhibit at any given time (12 are switched out in early fall).


But Wait, There’s More!

In addition to this historic display of scrolls, the exhibition also features ancient artifacts from Qumran, such as authentic scroll jars, coins, sandals, and an inkwell. Tracing the scrolls’ legacy, visitors can see a sampling of Hebrew codices from the National Library of Russia (the second oldest known Biblical texts after the scrolls) and medieval illuminated manuscripts from the British National Library.

In the museum’s giant screen theater, budding archaeologists are invited to watch a virtual reality tour of ancient Qumran, included in the price of admission. And with all the Dead Sea Scrolls scholars in the area, you had to figure there would be lots of lectures—22 to be exact (not included in the price of admission).

So how much will all this set you back? It depends on whether you prefer to see it during peak hours (that would be weekends and holidays) and pay the $28 adult ticket price, or see it Monday through Thursday and save yourself four bucks. Unfortunately, the only evening viewing hours are on weekends, when the exhibition will be open until 7:00 p.m.

Also keep in mind that there are no lockers for onsite temporary storage of personal belongings, and all purses, backpacks, and other carrying bags will be subject to search. Photography and videotaping in the exhibition are prohibited as well.

To get all the details, purchase tickets online, and find out where they expect you to park, visit www.sdnhm.org/scrolls.