Educational Activities

The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum is home to the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include the oldest manuscripts of the Bible in the world. Ever since their discovery in 1947, the Scrolls have excited much interest among scholars and laymen alike. The Shrine of the Book, under the direction of the curator Dr. Adolfo Roitman, aims to promote educational activities related to the topic of the Scrolls and to bring these invaluable manuscripts closer to the general public in Israel and abroad. New educational programs on the Scrolls and on the Dead Sea sect have been produced over the past few years, and we intend to continue to develop additional programs in the future.

Current Programs

• The Shrine of the Book is offering, for the second year, a unique experimental program for the fifth unit of the State of Israel’s matriculation. The program, “Secret of the Desert: The Motif of the Desert in the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls” uniqueness lies in the fact that this is the first time that the subject of the Dead Sea Scrolls in being taught in High Schools together with a museum experience.
In the 2002 school year, 11 students from the Jerusalem Music and Dance Academy have successfully concluded their studies in this course, under the guidance of their teacher, Mr. David cohen Tzemach. This year, 7 students from the Harel Mevaseret High School’s bible course began this program.
Ms. Ornit Levy, a member of the Shrine of the Book staff, wrote the program under the scientific advisement of Dr. Adolfo Roitman. Ms. Levy is a bible teacher who also teaches this program.

• Guided tour of the Shrine of the Book accompanied by a lecture in the field of Bible, Second Temple period history, Judaism, or another topic of choice. The tour also includes a visit to the Museum’s Judaica galleries, with a focus on the development of the synagogue. The tour is meant for teachers and students from Israel and abroad. Its aim is to strengthen Jewish roots.

• “Interfaith dialogue.” Guided tour for people of the Christian faith in which the aspects common to Judaism and Christianity are emphasized, with a view toward deepening interfaith understanding.

• Audio-Guide
1. An informative audio-guide in English, Hebrew, and Russian is currently available to both individuals and groups.
2. Besides this, the audio-play "Journey to the Desert", offers visitors an experiential and unconventional acquaintance with the Shrine of the Book, recreating the process of acceptance to the Dead Sea sect (presently available in Hebrew).

Future Development

• Study Center

On the 40th anniversary of the Shrine of the Book in 2005, we aim to open a study center consisting of an information unit, an auditorium, and classrooms. The educational center will provide materials on the Scrolls and the Dead Sea sect, on biblical manuscripts, and on the history of the period, and will serve as a research center for all those interest in these subjects. It will also provide support for high school students and the participants in our programs. In the auditorium, a virtual experience will be screened that will prepare visitors for their tour of the Shrine, and artistic performances related to the Scrolls will be held.
We also plan to produce CD-ROMs on the subject of the Scrolls. The first will deal with the history of the Temple Scroll and its significance.

• Shrine-On-Line. We are currently preparing a 3-D web site that will offer interactive virtual visits to the Shrine of the Book.

Further information may be obtained at the Shrine of the Book:
Tel: 972-2-670-8859
Fax: 972-2-563-3695
E-mail: shrine@imj.org.il