Religious attractions and museums around the country strive to bring the Bible to life, whether visitors are standing in front of the oldest known copy of Romans 5:1, which states that Christians “are justified by faith,” or listening to actors portray Jesus’ disciples after they encounter him on the road to Emmaus. Some focus on education, and others highlight entertainment; but they all exist to share the Bible and stories from its pages.
Here are some of the new developments at top faith-based destinations and attractions across the country.

Museum of the Bible:

Washington, D.C.
When the Museum of the Bible opens in November 2017 in Washington, it will interpret one of the oldest texts on earth using some of the most modern technology: $42 million worth, to be exact.
“We’ll be on the cutting edge in innovating what a modern museum experience is,” said Steven Bickley, the museum’s vice president of marketing.

Above visitors’ heads in the lobby, a 150-foot LED screen will span the ceiling where the museum can display anything its staff decides on, such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, nature scenes or illuminated manuscripts. Hand-held devices like smartphones will offer a map of the museum’s interior, like GPS for exhibits and galleries. Using the devices, guests can choose to hear about exhibits from different perspectives — for example, from a Jewish, Catholic or Protestant perspective — or opt for a “40,000-foot explanation or go superdeep” to gain scholar-level understanding, Bickley said. In the Bible Now area, visitors can see in real time all the Bible engagement taking place around the world through YouVersion’s Bible app.

The museum’s intent is for people of all types and backgrounds to engage with the Bible through its history, narrative and impact, and those are the museum’s three main exhibit floors. More than 500 biblical texts and artifacts will be displayed on the History floor. The Impact floor will have approximately 20 vignettes exploring how the Bible has affected everything from health care to fashion, criminal justice to charities. People who have designed for Disney and Universal Studios are doing the Narrative floor. Two more central exhibit floors will include the long-term international libraries and long-term international museum galleries.
A 500-person theater will showcase various performances and productions, and 40-foot-tall bronze doors will lead to the rooftop biblical garden.

Read more at New and Noteworthy Attractions.