Museum of the Bible

Our registrar Anna-Maria N. Royal was in Rouen, France, to install one of our objects in a temporary exhibition, “Extravagente Renaissance: Geoffroy Dumonstier de Rouen à Fontainbleau” at the Archives Départmentals de la Seine-Maritime. Our manuscript, Mellon Prudhomme's "Le lustre des temps," is being featured in the exhibition. This is possibly the first-known documentation of Dumonstier's work in a manuscript. Although the manuscript is written by Prudhomme, it was possibly illustrated by Dumonstier. Learn more about the collaboration here: https://lnkd.in/etsHNtf5   

For Hispanic Heritage Month, the Education team collaborated with a special guest, Ambassador H. E. Catalina Crespo-Sancho from Costa Rica, for “Storytimes in Spanish and English.” Crespo was accompanied by her two sleuths and a local elementary school as she shared the history of Costa Rica and their values of peace using a story from “Biblia Historia de Jesús.”

“Shana Tova U’Metuka!” Happy New Year to our Jewish community.

Museum of the Bible announced a strategic alliance with Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) — one of the largest faith-based higher education institutions in America — to serve as the exclusive academic sponsor of the museum’s World Stage Theater (WST) and to collaborate on future projects involving the school’s academic and research opportunities. Indiana Wesleyan will sponsor content seen by WST visitors at more than 150 events hosted by the museum venue, including world-renowned authors, speakers and worship artists. “We are so excited to welcome Indiana Wesleyan University as our exclusive academic industry partner for our World Stage Theater,” Chief Executive Officer Dr. Carlos Campo said. “Our museum is constantly looking for exceptional organizations in their fields to help provide visitors with the best interactive and curated experiences possible. We believe an alliance with IWU will expand the museum’s reach as it is one of the largest faith-based institutions in the country, with strong academic programs and a rich Christian history.”

No two days at Museum of the Bible are ever the same! Yesterday was filled with visits from special guests! 🇬🇧 In the morning, we had Russell Brand stop by to witness what he calls “an immersive and elucidating experience” and “a visceral encounter with God.” It was a pleasure to show him the history of the Bible. 🇹🇴 We were later honored to have their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u of Tonga in our presence. Tonga is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, with 170 islands. A vast majority of the population is of Polynesian ancestry, with close ties to Samoans and other Polynesians in culture and language. 🇺🇸 It was teeming red, white, and blue as 2024 summer Olympians took over Washington, DC! Joseph Brown (Discus Throw), Veronica Fraley (Discus Throw), Trevor Bassitt (Men’s 400m Hurdles), Daniel Haugh (Men’s Hammer Throw), and Annette Echikunwoke (Women’s Hammer Throw) stopped by Museum of the Bible to explore the impact of the Bible. One lucky guest had a chance to take a picture with them. Her mom shared that she is an aspiring athlete and one day hopes to make it to the Olympics.

#DidYouKnow: Former President Jimmy Carter gifted Museum of the Bible one of his Bibles! Carter received this copy of the “New Marked Reference Bible” as a Christmas present from his brother shortly before he was elected. Today, we celebrate a true American icon, Carter, as he turns 100 years old! In honor of this monumental milestone, we will have his Bible displayed on Floor 1. The Bible includes Carter’s notes and the contact information of his Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Our interim Chief Curatorial Officer Robert Duke spoke with WUSA-TV about Carter's major milestone. Watch the segment here: https://lnkd.in/eAbTZu5K

On September 29, many gathered at Museum of the Bible to celebrate the opening of our latest exhibit, “Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book,” and the viewing of a remarkable sacred book, Afghan Liturgical Quire. We are honored to be the book’s custodian, ensuring safe access so everyone can view it. We are grateful to the organizations in attendance: Howard University, The George Washington University, New York University, Yeshiva University, National Intelligence University, Cambridge University Press & Assessment The Johns Hopkins University, American University, The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Rutgers University, Princeton University, and Georgetown University. We welcomed representatives from The White House, the state of VA, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, U.S. Department of State, the Office of Afghanistan Affairs, Blue Star Families, Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Capital Jewish Museum, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Red Cross and the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism. We make special mention of those individuals with a special connection to the exhibit: Sharon Mintz of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Osnat Gad and David Abraham of the Afghan Jewish Foundation, Jack Abraham of the Congregation Anshei Shalom, and Executive Director Jason Guberman of the American Sephardi Federation. Guberman says, “It’s an incredibly hopeful day when the ambassador of an Islamic country and a Christian museum come together to celebrate a Hebrew book.”

Museum of the Bible hosted a special evening for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Administrative Committee. This special occasion was the first time these bishops experienced the museum. They were given an opportunity to see the special exhibit, “The Megiddo Mosaic: The Foundations of Faith.”

Their Majesties, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III, and his wife, the Queen Consort, Olori Atuwatse III, presented the Itsekiri Bible to add to our shelves in the illumiNations gallery. In a historic ceremony, Museum of the Bible commemorated the gap between the Warri tribe and the gospel being closed. illumiNations is an umbrella organization that brings together some of the world’s largest Bible translation organizations to make the Bible accessible to all people by 2033.

Museum of the Bible was one of the sponsors of the Good News Conference. The mission of the Good News Conference is to enhance lives, strengthen the Catholic faith, and evangelize through interactive presentations, engaging talks, and personal witnesses. We hosted a breakout session with our Senior Curator Brian Hyland. He incorporated scriptures on mercy into his presentation. When he wasn’t presenting, he shared a rare pocket Bible from the 13th century for attendees to view. More details here: https://lnkd.in/gQYQ8qpr