On Day 6, we continued on to the Shrine of the Book, which is a museum with a focus on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Photos are not allowed inside the exhibits with the Dead Sea Scrolls, but photos are allowed outside. There is an exhibit outside that consists of a very large model of Jerusalem from 66 AD, which was considered its peak before the rebellion led to its destruction in 70 AD.
The model of Jerusalem was quite the site. Unfortunately, it was still raining, and it was VERY windy. We were now between the Old City of Jerusalem and the sites we visited earlier. It made it hard to get good photos or linger around long. Some people had their umbrellas invert from the wind, and I think at least a few may have blown away...umbrellas, that is.
The first photo shows the view of the Temple. This is Herod's Temple, also known as the Second Jerusalem Temple. This was the Temple in the time of Jesus. The view of this Temple is what one would see from the Mount of Olives, a bit up the hill from where the cave at Gethsemane would be.
For the photos above, it didn't occur to me to take my camera phone and take a panoramic photo, but that might have been a great way to capture this; or I could have stitched it together into one long image. I then headed to the corner of the exhibit off to the left and started by panning hard to the right and worked back.
This next photo shows much more of the smaller structures in the city.
This next photo gives a much better idea of the scale of this scaled model of the city. I believe it's about 1,000 square meters in size. The steps in the foreground makes it clear that this is huge. These final photos show the western side of the city from that era. The Temple sits at the center of the east side and faces east. The city walls on the west side had expanded out since the time Jesus was put to death, roughly a decade after that took place. So this model does not show the notch where Golgotha fit snugly into the southeast corner of the northwest part of the city wall.
This post is rather simple up to this point, since I was mostly capturing the appearance of the model, and since no photos are allowed inside where they protect the scrolls. If you want to see the official website of the Jerusalem Model, this is it:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book/model-jerusalem-second-temple-period
The part of the site focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls is here:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book/dead-sea-scrolls
Somehow I didn't take a photo of the rooftop of the museum. It's very distinctive, and it appears on their site:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book
I enjoyed seeing the scrolls, and regret that I wasn't allowed to take any photos. Therefore, the rest of this post can only be text.
There were a few smaller exhibits early on. But then there was a circular room with various exhibits around the edges. And along the inner ring...the Isaiah Scroll. The scroll is remarkably, fully intact (the only scroll that appears to be fully intact) and stretches 7.34 meters (more than 24 feet!) in the circular ring, facing out so we can all view it.
There is a section of the scroll that is much darker than the rest...
...
...
It is the writings of the Suffering Servant.
...
...
It was clear that the Jews handled that part of the scroll more than any other part. They were very interested in this figure. Who was this Suffering Servant? How would we recognize Him? Indeed, the Suffering Servant is a remarkable person, and it points forward to Jesus, describing Him in such detail that it's hard to consider any other human in all of history who has fulfilled that role.
Many Jews have never read or heard Isaiah 53. As Christianity grew more popular, it became a passage that would be hidden from many Jews, intentionally ignored. I've even seen some YouTube videos of people who quote the chapter to Jews in Israel who find this man very intriguing, honorable, and relatable to the persecution the Jews have faced throughout their history. The reactions vary when it's revealed that this points to Jesus. Some seem likely to convert; some aren't sure what to think; and some feel tricked and quickly turn their opinion of the Suffering Servant as being very negative.
The model of Jerusalem was quite the site. Unfortunately, it was still raining, and it was VERY windy. We were now between the Old City of Jerusalem and the sites we visited earlier. It made it hard to get good photos or linger around long. Some people had their umbrellas invert from the wind, and I think at least a few may have blown away...umbrellas, that is.
The first photo shows the view of the Temple. This is Herod's Temple, also known as the Second Jerusalem Temple. This was the Temple in the time of Jesus. The view of this Temple is what one would see from the Mount of Olives, a bit up the hill from where the cave at Gethsemane would be.
 |
| View of the 2nd Jerusalem Temple (Model depicting 66 AD) |
 |
| Panning a little to the right |
 |
| Panning even more to the right |
 |
| And Panning much more to the right |
 |
| Standing far to the left, but starting by having panned far right |
 |
| Panning a bit to the left |
 |
| Stepping and Panning even more to the left |
This post is rather simple up to this point, since I was mostly capturing the appearance of the model, and since no photos are allowed inside where they protect the scrolls. If you want to see the official website of the Jerusalem Model, this is it:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book/model-jerusalem-second-temple-period
The part of the site focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls is here:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book/dead-sea-scrolls
Somehow I didn't take a photo of the rooftop of the museum. It's very distinctive, and it appears on their site:
https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book
I enjoyed seeing the scrolls, and regret that I wasn't allowed to take any photos. Therefore, the rest of this post can only be text.
There were a few smaller exhibits early on. But then there was a circular room with various exhibits around the edges. And along the inner ring...the Isaiah Scroll. The scroll is remarkably, fully intact (the only scroll that appears to be fully intact) and stretches 7.34 meters (more than 24 feet!) in the circular ring, facing out so we can all view it.
There is a section of the scroll that is much darker than the rest...
...
...
It is the writings of the Suffering Servant.
...
...
It was clear that the Jews handled that part of the scroll more than any other part. They were very interested in this figure. Who was this Suffering Servant? How would we recognize Him? Indeed, the Suffering Servant is a remarkable person, and it points forward to Jesus, describing Him in such detail that it's hard to consider any other human in all of history who has fulfilled that role.
Many Jews have never read or heard Isaiah 53. As Christianity grew more popular, it became a passage that would be hidden from many Jews, intentionally ignored. I've even seen some YouTube videos of people who quote the chapter to Jews in Israel who find this man very intriguing, honorable, and relatable to the persecution the Jews have faced throughout their history. The reactions vary when it's revealed that this points to Jesus. Some seem likely to convert; some aren't sure what to think; and some feel tricked and quickly turn their opinion of the Suffering Servant as being very negative.
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