The separation of church and state may be a fundamental concept of U.S. democracy, but beginning Friday the Museum of the Bible will be open just blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
The $500 million project is the latest addition to Washington, D.C.’s roster of museums. It will feature more than 2,800 artifacts displayed in a 430,000-square-foot building, WCPO reported.
The museum’s entrance is composed of two 40-foot brass replicas of the Book of Genesis leading to a lobby that features a 140-foot-long digital ceiling with revolving images of landscapes and stained glass, USA Today reported.
The privately funded museum will offer free admission although donations will be welcome. The Museum of the Bible will be the largest of its kind dedicated solely to the Judeo-Christian Holy Book.
One section is devoted to the Bible in America, and its influence on presidents and the Founding Fathers — such as Benjamin Franklin, who often urged his fellow founders to abide by the book’s wisdom.
Other exhibits will showcase the Bible’s influence on world history, culture, science, art and literature.
The museum is hosting an opening black-tie gala Thursday night at the Trump International Hotel, although neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence were expected to attend, the Washington Post reported.
Some tables at the fundraising event are priced at $50,000 while the cheapest single-admission ticket is priced at $2,500, the newspaper reported.
The museum will contain one of, if not the, largest collections of Bibles and biblical artifacts from all over the world.
Read more at Museum of the Bible set to open in D.C.
