In the spring of 2018, visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will be able to see one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century: the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The ancient manuscripts, which include the oldest known Biblical documents, date back more than 2,000 years. Next year, they'll spend five months on display in Denver in what a press release describes as a dramatic presentation in a massive exhibit case.
It'd have to be pretty big to fit the entire collection of Dead Sea Scrolls. There are 972 in total.
In case you're unfamiliar: The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, quite well-preserved, in a cave along the shore of the Dead Sea by a Bedouin goat herder in 1947. Since then, they've been the subject of a lot of awe and debate.
This is the first time the Dead Sea Scrolls have come to Denver.
The exhibit at the Museum of Nature & Science will include a full English translation as well as the largest collection of Holy Land artifacts ever assembled for display here. That includes inscriptions and seals, weapons, stone carvings, terra cotta figurines, remains of religious symbols, coins, shoes, textiles, mosaics, ceramics and jewelry.
There will also be a re-creation of the Western Wall with a 3-ton stone from the original, which is believed to have fallen in 70 BCE. In keeping with the tradition of leaving notes between the stones of the wall, museum visitors can do that at the re-creation, and they'll be sent to Israel.
The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit opens March 16 and runs through Sept. 3, 2018.
