One of the World’s Largest Private Collections Visits Cuba Following Restored Diplomatic Relations between the U.S. and Island Country
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Feb. 10, 2016—
Rare texts and manuscripts from one of the world’s largest private collections of biblical artifacts are now on display at the recently renovated Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Santiago de Cuba through March 13. This is the second time portions of the Museum of the Bible Collection are being publicly displayed in Cuba; and it is the first time since diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba were restored in 2015. The exhibit titled La Biblia: The Way of God in the Way of Man makes the Bible and historical artifacts publicly accessible to the Caribbean nation’s 11.2 million residents.
The exhibit focuses on the history of the Bible and its impact on Cuba’s unique past. Guests of the free, public exhibit will experience specially curated selections from the Museum Collection, as well as biblical art from prominent Cuban writers, poets and painters. A painting by Cuban artist Jesús Rivera of Bartolomé de las Casas, a priest celebrated as an early champion of human rights and the abolition of slavery of native Cubans and other citizens in the Caribbean under the Spanish Empire, will also be on display.
Other items on display in Santiago de Cuba include:
- Selected art of Harold Copping, a 20th-century artist renowned for his portrayals of biblical stories
- The first complete Bible in Spanish and other early Spanish editions, as well as first editions of the King James Bible and other rare printed Bibles
- A replica of the Great Isaiah Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- An array of biblical texts on papyrus
“Museum of the Bible’s vision is to invite all people to engage with the Bible,” said David Trobisch, collection director for Museum of the Bible. “More than 30,000 people visited a similar exhibit in Havana in 2014, and we are thrilled to return to this vibrant country to share access to such a diverse collection of rare biblical artifacts with other Cubans.”
Many of the artifacts from La Biblia: The Way of God in the Way of Man will be displayed in the 430,000-square-foot, $400 million Museum of the Bible scheduled to open fall 2017 in Washington. Items from the Museum Collection have also previously been on display via Museum of the Bible’s international traveling exhibits at the Vatican and in Argentina, and in several U.S. cities, including Philadelphia at the World Meeting of Families Congress in September 2015 during the pope’s first visit to the U.S.
La Biblia: The Way of God in the Way of Man Santiago de Cuba
Dates:
Feb. 6 – March 13
Location:
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunció
Heredia, Parque Cespedes
Santiago de Cuba, 94330
Entry Fee:
FREE and open to the public
Hours of Operation:
Daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
More information at MuseumoftheBible.org
About Museum of the Bible
Museum of the Bible invites all people to engage with the Bible through museum exhibits and scholarly pursuits, including artifact research, education initiatives and an international museum opening in late 2017 in Washington. The 430,000-square-foot, $400 million Museum of the Bible, dedicated to the impact, history and narrative of the Bible, will be located three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. As of 2016, it has sponsored traveling exhibits in several U.S. cities and four other countries.
