REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Dead Sea Scrolls at The Leonardo

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit
The Leonardo Museum
November 22, 2013 – April 27, 2014

The Leonardo always has great exhibits, and when I heard the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit would be there, I knew I would want to visit! The Leonardo was chosen as one of six museums in the United States to display the collection of scrolls and other artifacts from ancient Israel, some of which have never been on display before.

My parents visited Israel and the surrounding areas a few years ago, and visited the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. It was interesting to see their pictures, and then visit the exhibit and see the actual scrolls on display.

What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?

The Dead Sea Scrolls are what many are calling “the most significant find of the last century.” The exhibit at The Leonardo is one of the largest collections of 2,000 year old scrolls find in a cave in Israel by the Dead Sea. Nobody knows for sure who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, but almost all of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is represented in them; however, not all of the scrolls are biblical. Some scrolls cover war, health, law and more. Most of them are written in Hebrew, but various scrolls are written in Aramaic and Greek. They are the oldest known copies of the Old Testament.

Interesting facts about the Dead Sea Scrolls:

• The scrolls were accidentally stumbled upon by a teenage shepherd. They were discovered in 11 caves between 1947 and 1956 along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. They were probably hidden during the First Jewish Revolt against the Romans in A.D. 66-70.
• Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were attempted to be sold in a classified ad in 1954.
• One of the Dead Sea Scrolls describes hidden treasure in the Temple of Jerusalem. The treasure has yet to be found.
• The scrolls were written with ink from iron salts and tree fungus, and parchment made from goatskin.
• The War Scroll talks about conflict between the “Sons of Light” and the “Sons of Darkness”.
• Some scholars believe one of the scrolls is an ancient horoscope.

About the exhibit:

At the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at The Leonardo, you will see some of the actual Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as other items from Israel that are around 2,000 years old; the approximate time period that the Dead Sea Scrolls were written.

When you walk into the exhibit, you will notice sand around the platform you are walking on. This is actual sand from near the Dead Sea where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Discover what kind of jewelry was worn, and see ancient artifacts such as pots, coins and more. Many of these items have never been seen before, and won’t be seen again.

One of the most interesting and interactive parts of the exhibit is the three-ton stone from the Western Wall. You can leave a note in “the wall”, and it will be shipped back to the original Western Wall in Jerusalem to be blessed.

GIVEAWAY:

Win two free passes to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at The Leonardo! Enter the rafflecopter below.

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 11:59pm. Winner will be notified via email on Wednesday April 2, 2014, and must respond within 24 hours to claim their tickets. Winner’s pair of tickets will be left at Will-Call under winner’s name at The Leonardo museum, and winner is responsible for picking up passes. Must be 18+ years old to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway