Museum of the Bible
Washington, D.C.
As Washington continues to distance itself from religion, an enormous $500 million Museum of the Bible is moving into the neighborhood — three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The high-tech brick-and-glass structure will be opening in November and will chronicle the history, narrative and impact of the Bible. Each of these three themes will have a floor of the museum dedicated to it, with the history floor featuring many of the great biblical discoveries: writings dating to the time of Abraham, fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls and early New Testament writings.
The roof will play host to a garden and Middle Eastern fare dating to biblical times. Executive director Tony Zeiss said the museum has gone to great lengths to present a factual, nondenominational account of the Bible, enlisting several independent consultants and scholars to help design the exhibits.
“We want all people of all ages and of all faiths to see our museum,” Zeiss said. “We aren’t a ministry, and we aren’t pushing religion.”
Organizers say they are building the most technologically advanced museum in the world. Around $42 million is going into technology alone.
“It’s not going to be your grandpa’s museum,” Zeiss said. “This goes way beyond walking over to a glass and looking down.”
Each visitor will be given a personal touring device the size of a smartphone to navigate the exhibits. The system works within six inches of accuracy throughout the 430,000-square-foot museum and allows for 3-D interactivity at several stations. The devices will also guide visitors to the best exhibits, theaters and attractions at the best times.
Another unique feature is the museum’s 500-seat performing arts hall, which uses 360-degree digital mapping to immerse guests in any given environment. The full technology package for the museum includes 384 monitors, 93 projectors and 12 theaters.
Read more at Grand Openings at these Museums.
