You heard it here first: the acclaimed Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences was scheduled to close December 28, but a museum official has told me that the Israel Antiquities Authority has given permission for the exhibit to remain open through Sunday, January 4. An official announcement will be made Monday.
That’s great news: the extension provides an extra week of prime viewing opportunities during the holiday season, when interested folks who have been unable to visit the exhibit may finally have the leisure to do so. That’s where I find myself — after a scheduled tour was canceled prior to the exhibit’s opening, I got swamped with other things and have yet to see it.
I’m planning to rectify that by celebrating the end of the semester with a visit to the exhibit this coming Saturday morning, and really looking forward to it. I’ve seen some of the scrolls in Israel, but samples of them rarely leave the country. To have a dozen examples within driving distance of several states is an opportunity not to be ignored.
I’ll post a review of the exhibit on Monday. In the meantime, exhibit hours and ticket information can be found here. While planning your holiday travels, consider giving your family the gift of an experience that can be as spiritual as it is educational.
Just think — it could be you!
[Photos courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences]