St. Petersburg, Russia Tucked away in the massive collection of the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg is an unassuming book of priceless importance to the Jewish community: the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible in the world. The Leningrad Codex, which achieved its status after portions of the Aleppo Codex were lost in the mid-20th … [Read more...]
EL GHRIBA SYNAGOGUE & TORAH
Djerba, Tunisia The extremely ancient Jewish community of Tunisia is one of the oldest Israelite colonies outside of the Eastern Mediterranean region. In fact, other than the Israelites of Palestine, Egypt and Mesopotamia, it may be the world’s oldest Jewish community. If this is indeed the case, than it would also be among the oldest continuous Jewish population in the … [Read more...]
DEAD SEA SCROLLS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Qumran, Palestine In 1947, a Beduoin shepherd seeking some stray sheep accidentally stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time: a series of caves containing an astonishing collection of ancient scrolls, including some of the earliest known editions of several books of the Hebrew Bible. These writings, now collectively known as the Dead Sea … [Read more...]
GUTENBERG MUSEUM
Mainz, Germany In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg, an innovative citizen of Mainz in Germany, invented the world’s first moveable-type printing press. Sixteen years later, Gutenberg produced his magnum opus, and one of the most famous books in history: the Gutenberg edition of the Holy Bible. According to the records of his studio, one hundred and eighty volumes … [Read more...]
BRITISH LIBRARY
London, England The British Library in London is one of the world’s largest repositories of books and knowledge. It is not surprising to find, therefore, that its absolutely immense collection includes a number of extremely rare and priceless Christian writings; and among these may be the rarest and most priceless of all: the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete copy of … [Read more...]
ISRAEL MUSEUM
Jerusalem, Israel The Israel Museum is the national museum of the State of Israel and possibly the world’s greatest religious museum. A sprawling world-class complex, no other museum in Israel, or perhaps in the entire Middle East (with the possible exception of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo) boasts so large or diverse a collection. Designed to capture the immense, … [Read more...]
HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE
Orlando, Florida The Holy Land Experience, located in the midst of Orlando’s theme-park belt, is a living museum of sorts dedicated to recreating life in Jerusalem as it might have been during the late Second Temple period. Although it has been criticized for ‘Disney’-fying Christianity and the life of Christ, it nevertheless offers a fascinating and unique window into the … [Read more...]
CENTRAL HOUSE HOTEL
Boscobel, Wisconsin The Gideons International is one of the best known yet unknown homegrown American Christian organizations. Virtually everyone who has ever stayed in a hotel room and found a Bible therein knows it was most likely placed there by the mysterious group known as the Gideons, but most people known nothing beyond this. The origins of this busy but little … [Read more...]
BOB JONES UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Greenville, South Carolina Bob Jones University is one of the best known Christian colleges in the South. Among other things it is home to a hidden gem, the BJU Museum and Gallery, which houses an excellent collection of religious artwork and books. Although also a secular art museum, it is famous for its variety of religious exhibits which include antique Bibles, Orthodox … [Read more...]
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY & MUSEUM OF BIBLICAL ART
New York, New York The American Bible Society is a non-denominational organization with the mission to publish and distribute Bibles and related materials in the United States. For nearly two centuries they have maintained their headquarters in New York City. For years they also ran a gallery of religious artwork and artifacts in the headquarters building. In 2005 the large … [Read more...]
