3 Reasons to Visit Museum of the Bible

My wife and I visited Museum of the Bible this last weekend. Before we even made it home, my friends were was buzzing me for the scouting report: How was it?

And after spending two days browsing the exhibits, I can offer 3 reasons Bible readers will want to visit. Ready? Here we go.

#1 Bible Impact
The Impact Floor of the Museum reveals hundreds of ways the Bible impacted world history. The exhibits catalogue the's influence on literature, movies, governments, civil rights--and even fashion.

#2 Experiential Wow's

Everywhere you turn, Museum of the Bible has interactive desktops, movies, multimedia displays, and audio tours. The biggest Wow of all was the 30-minute, multimedia event called Stories of the Bible. I've heard that this interactive experience was created by a former Disney Imagineer. I believe it. the burning bush moment was simply surprising/stunning/awesome.

Along the same lines was the recreation of the Nazareth village. Being immersed in the scenes that Jesus and his disciples lived, caused me reflect on Jesus' parables and teaching with a fresh perspective.

#3 Deep Reflection
I was expecting Museum artifacts and certainly found those. (Yes, I saw my first Adulterer's Bible--an ill-fated 1631 printing of the KJV that has an unforgettable typo: thou shalt commit adultery--and I relished the chance to see some Bodmer Papyri up close after studying them so closely in college.

What surprised me, though, were the reflective moments that the Museum offered. The World Theater offered a 270-degree visual display of Bible readings. The Stories of the Bible exhibits challenged me to engage the Bible's message. The Nazareth Village encouraged reflection on the New Testament.  So while I was prepared to see copies of Old books and read their history, I wasn't prepared for how thought provoking aspects of the Museum would be.

Worth the visit? Yes. And before you go, you need to know it's impossible to see it all in one day. I would recommend visiting over the parts of two days while also taking in some of the sites around Washington, DC.

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Christopher D. Hudson is an author whose mission is to help people read, engage, and apply the Bible. Learn more at www.ReadEngageApply.com