Dead Sea Scrolls coming to St. Paul

The priceless treasure from the shores of the Dead Sea will be put on rare display in 2010 at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

By ALLIE SHAH, Star Tribune

Last update: December 10, 2008 - 7:38 AM

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After years of behind-the-scenes work, the Science Museum of Minnesota has landed the Dead Sea Scrolls for an exhibit in 2010.

It will be the first time the ancient and priceless writings will be displayed publicly in Minnesota, museum officials said Tuesday.

"They are something that do inspire reverence and awe," said Mike Day, senior vice president of museum enterprises. "At the same time they tell an amazing story of archaeology."

Museum President Eric Jolly will travel to Israel this month, as part of the Minnesota trade mission led by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. His trip is meant to solidify the relationship between Minnesota officials and the Israel Antiquities Authority -- under whose care the scrolls are kept.

The oldest written record of the Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls comprise more than 100,000 fragments of ancient Hebrew writings.

A Bedouin shepherd boy discovered them after World War II in caves in Israel, along the shore of the Dead Sea.

Only on rare occasions are they displayed for the general public, said Day, who has been working to bring them to St. Paul for more than three years. He said he has seen the scrolls exhibited at museums in Grand Rapids, Mich., Seattle and San Diego.

The scrolls first appeared in the United States in 1993 at the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington.

The St. Paul science museum has been invited to display the scrolls between April and August in 2010, provided they can raise enough money to develop an exhibit that will properly protect the fragile artifacts.

Museum spokeswoman Janine Hanson said officials hope to raise $5 million.

Extensive preparations must be made for transporting the documents and protecting them while on display. For example, there are strict requirements about how much light can be used in the exhibit and how long the texts can be on display before they must be archived again in Israel, Day said.

When the scrolls are transported, they each travel with their own courier on separate flights. "Every precaution is taken in respect to the transport of these scrolls," he said.

How many scroll fragments and which ones will be coming to Minnesota have yet to be determined, museum officials say, although they say the historic exhibit will include writings from the collection.

Day said he expects the exhibit will be well-received.

"What makes it powerful is the experience of the artifacts, and, of course, primarily when you get to the scroll gallery," he said. "The fact that you're reading ancient Hebrew text of the Old Testament."

Allie Shah • 651-298-1550

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