Museum of the Bible

Museum of the Bible
(2024)
Museum of the Bible is located in Central Washington, D.C.
Museum of the Bible
Location within Washington, D.C.
EstablishedNovember 17, 2017 (November 17, 2017)
Location400 4th St SW Washington, D.C., United States[1]
Coordinates38°53′05″N 77°01′01″W / 38.8847222°N 77.0169444°W / 38.8847222; -77.0169444
TypeHistory museum
Collection size40,000+
FounderSteve Green[2]
CEOCarlos Alejandro Campo
ArchitectDavid Greenbaum
Public transit access                Federal Center SW
Websitewww.museumofthebible.org

The Museum of the Bible is a museum in Washington D.C., owned by Museum of the Bible, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 2010 by the Green family.[3]: 16  The museum documents the narrative, history, and impact of the Bible. It opened on November 17, 2017,[4][5] and has 1,150 items in its permanent collection and 2,000 items on loan from other institutions and collections.[6]

Though the museum claims it is nonsectarian and "is not political, and it will not proselytize",[7][8] members of the board of directors sign a "faith statement" regarding the truth of the Bible.[9][10]

In the year before its launch, the museum fielded questions about the acquisition of its collection, including a federal case over smuggled Iraqi antiquities and thousands of clay artifacts,[11] as well as the provenance of some of its exhibits.[12] The museum's dedication ceremony received an official pontifical blessing from Pope Francis, and people in attendance included Cardinal Donald Wuerl, musician CeCe Winans, Senate Chaplain Barry Black, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer.[7]

The Museum of the Bible charges for admission. The museum features dining, including a restaurant called Manna that serves kosher food and the Milk and Honey Café.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Museum of the Bible". www.museumofthebible.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "Leadership".
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference moss was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Museum – Main site". Museum of the Bible. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "Explore Museum of the Bible". Museum of the Bible. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Collections". Archived from the original on December 31, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference White2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "The real Museum of the Bible". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  9. ^ Stracqualursi, Veronica (November 18, 2017). "Museum of the Bible faces revelations, controversy as it opens". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  10. ^ Gjelten, Tom (November 10, 2017). "New Museum Invites Visitors To 'Engage' With The Bible". NPR.org. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Questions swirl around Museum of the Bible before grand opening". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  12. ^ "Exclusive: 'Dead Sea Scrolls' at the Museum of the Bible are all forgeries". History. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kampeas2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "Dining". Museum of the Bible. Retrieved June 15, 2022.