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The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition opened its doors to the public in Fort Worth last week, and we popped in for a visit (it is incredibly interesting, to say the least!).  Here’s the scoop on our experience, what you need to know before you go, and how to save on your tickets.

We highly recommend putting this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition on your “must do” list, as this is one of the largest and most comprehensive exhibits of Dead Sea Scroll fragments  assembled, and the largest ever presented in Texas.  The exhibition features 21 fragments of original Dead Sea Scrolls ~ eight of which have never been shown publicly.

It was beyond amazing to see, in person, these ancient documents that were naturally preserved for almost 2,000 years ~ the oldest-known manuscripts of Biblical scripture and the greatest manuscript discovery of our time. First discovered in 1947 near the Dead Sea, the scrolls include surviving fragments of over 1,350 original scrolls, dating back as early as 250 B.C. 

Our Experience At The Exhibit

The tour:  The beginning of our guided tour took us through a fascinating, winding path of ancient artifacts and antiquities, interesting historical details, and thematic sets.  Our personal guide touched on the high points of many of the artifacts which included ancient glass & pottery, coins, medical implements, and other examples of life in ancient times.  This part took about 45 minutes ~ even at that, we didn’t get a chance to see every item (so we appreciated the opportunity to return at the end and view this section at our own pace).

Seeing the Scrolls: The next part of the tour brought us to a large room to see a quick film (less than 10 minutes) which provided some interesting background info about the Dead Sea Scrolls.  After the movie, we were led through a reproduction cave to the last section and focal point of the exhibition where we viewed the Dead Sea Scroll fragment displays (as well as other rare documents like part of the Gutenberg Bible ~ the first major book ever produced on a printing press).  It was absolutely amazing to see these historically important artifacts in person.  In a nutshell, we loved our visit!

Visiting tips:  I expect the exhibition will be busy on the weekends, so if you are able, we recommend attending during the middle of the week.  We went in the early afternoon on a weekday ~ we were able to spend as much time as we wanted on each display and not feel crowded or rushed.   You will be on your feet most of the time, so wear comfy shoes.  We also suggest you set aside about 2 hours to go through the exhibit.

How to save on tickets:  You can save up to $6 a ticket by attending the exhibit Monday through Thursday (the price goes up on weekends).  Also, active Military (with valid Military ID) and children under 3 can attend anytime for FREE!  Other discounts may be periodically posted on the exhibit’s Facebook page, (so be sure and “friend” them to be the first to learn about future savings).  Tickets are on sale at SeeTheScrolls.com.

Highlights You Don’t Want To Miss

• 21 Dead Sea Scroll Fragments including biblical passages from Exodus, the Psalms and Daniel.
• Ancient artifacts including the Simon of Cyrene ossuary and displays including actual excavation tools from the original site.
• Other rare documents including a portion of a Gutenberg Bible and a 1611 King James Bible.
• Simulated archaeological dig located just outside the exhibition where people of all ages can dig up an authentic 2,000 year old pot shard (plus, if you find one, you get to keep it!)

Details, Details

What:  Learn more and get tickets at SeeTheScrolls.com
When:  The Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible Exhibit runs through
January 13, 2013 and is open Monday to Saturday 10:00AM-8:00PM and Sunday 1:00PM-7:00PM
Where:  MacGorman Performing Arts Center at Southwestern Seminary ~ 4616 Stanley Avenue in Fort Worth

Enjoy and Share!    :)

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Thank you to the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit for sponsoring this post and our visit. All opinions stated in this post are entirely my opinion (as always).