Our Trip to the Museum of the Bible

We recently traveled to Washington D.C. On our “must do” list was a visit to the new Museum of the Bible. Unlike many of the museums (Smithsonian, etc.) in our nation’s capital, this museum is a non-profit organization, and is dependent on donations. The suggested donation for an adult is $19.95. Other experiences at the museum were available for an additional donation. We chose to go with the standard admission, and with that there was certainly plenty to experience.
The museum includes six floors, and we started at the top floor and worked our way down. When we reached the top floor, we were met by three “Secret Service” looking guards, blocking our path. We asked a museum employee what was going on, only to be told that there was a special guest present. Thinking perhaps that a member of Congress was present, we asked who it was. It turned out to be a controversial TV pastor from Texas who was there for an event. We wondered if John the Baptist would have had such security detail and thought for a minute it was something for The Babylon Bee.   
Side note of comment to this pastor titled BE AVAILABLE by Bob Goff:
“Take it from a guy who had the audacity to put his cell number in the back of his book: there’s a huge power in just being present, being available, to those around you. What if you took time for the people in your life? What if you made some audacious plans to rock their lives? Try it and see what happens!” 
The 6^th floor had some excellent views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol building. It also had the Manna restaurant, a biblical garden and the Gathering Room.
The 5^th floor includes the World Stage Theatre, which offers an immersive and multimedia Bible reading experience. We enjoyed the Israel Antiques Authority presentation, featuring many artifacts from the biblical period.   Picture the 5 smooth stones of David when he fought Goliath – they were actually the size of small fist-size cannonballs!
The 4^th floor was probably my favorite. It features more than 600 artifacts and 50 media programs. It immerses you in the Bible’s journey through technology and culture. I enjoyed the many exhibits in this area, and the different bibles, from Martin Luther’s translation, a first edition King James Bible to an English Standard Version (ESV) that I use today.
The 3^rd floor includes a 30-minute Hebrew Bible Experience and a walk-thru the World of Jesus of Nazareth experience. It also includes the New Testament Theatre, which was very crowded, so we did not attend.
The 2^nd floor was about the impact of the Bible in diverse areas like music, fashion and government, and its significant impact on American culture. I enjoyed seeing a replica of George Whitfield’s field pulpit. Among the many other items featured was Elvis Presley’s bible.
The 1^st floor, which is where we had entered, features a 140-foot digital ceiling, a Vatican Museums and Library exhibition and a gift shop.
The Museum of the Bible was beautiful, and very well done in every aspect. It didn’t cheapen Christianity like the Orlando theme park “The Holy Land” does. There was quality in every aspect of the facility, from the many video presentations, displays and exhibits.
We spent two hours at the museum, but you could easily spend much more time than that. We did notice many busloads of children at the museum. I’m not sure how much children will get out of the experience, but for adults, this would be time well spent. To find out more about the Museum of the Bible, go to their website.