Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Israel Jerusalem Shrine of the Book
AO Edited

Shrine of the Book

The home of the Dead Sea Scrolls is an abstract modernist dream.

Jerusalem, Israel

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Shrine of the Book   31007578 on Flickr
Shrine of the Book   archdaily.com
Shrine of the Book   Wikimedia Commons
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  flaviacristolusso / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Housing the ancient biblical parchments known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Israel's Shrine of the Book surrounds the crumbling artifacts in a surreal modern womb built specifically to rotate the delicate pages for viewing. 

The bulbous museum was constructed in 1965 specifically to house the scrolls which had been discovered a few years earlier in a cave in the Judean Desert.

In 1946, a Bedouin teenager accidentally found seven ancient scrolls housed in jars in a cave in the wadi near Qumran. He had no idea that this was the beginning of such a significant discovery.  A total of 20 complete scrolls and 16,000 fragments of scrolls were found in 12 caves between 1947 and 1956. Out of these fragments, Researchers have assembled a total of 981 manuscripts. Most of them are books of the Torah (Old Testament) written in Hebrew.

The exterior of the shrine is a rounded peak with sculpted striations rippling up its walls. The strangely organic edifice belies the true grandeur of the site as well since the shrine actually extends well into the ground. Across from the white exterior is a black, basalt wall. The two features are meant to represent a specific scroll that talks about the "Sons of Light," represented by the shrine itself, and "Sons of Darkness," represented by the squat back wall.

Inside the surprisingly spacious shrine, selected Dead Sea Scrolls are on display year round. There are glass cases on the outer ring of the shrine that contain pages, but it is the central display which is made to look like a giant Torah scroll, complete with handle, that dominates the space. More pages of the scrolls are displayed in a spinning lit ring that circles the giant scroll. Due to the fragility of the scrolls, the displayed pages are cycled out on a regular basis so that no one section deteriorates from being displayed.

The Shrine of the Book is a part of the Israel Museum but it stands alone as both a unique architectural experience and a one of a kind religious pilgrimage.

Related Tags

Temples Museums Architectural Oddities Architecture

Know Before You Go

The museum is open Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is open Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and and holiday eves from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

PrestonW, ErezSpeiser, Collector of Experiences, flaviacristolusso

  • PrestonW
  • ErezSpeiser
  • Collector of Experiences
  • flaviacristolusso

Published

May 5, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrine_of_the_Book
  • http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Christian%20Themes/Details/Pages/Shrine%20of%20the%20Book.aspx
  • https://www.hike-israel.com/nature-in-israel/qumran/
Shrine of the Book
Shrine of the Book
Jerusalem
Israel
31.773327, 35.20295
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

National Library of Israel's Hidden "Stalag" Collection

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Saba's Little Museum

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Ades Synagogue

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Israel

Places 22
Stories 6

Nearby Places

National Library of Israel's Hidden "Stalag" Collection

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Saba's Little Museum

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Ades Synagogue

Jerusalem, Israel

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Israel

Places 22
Stories 6

Related Places

  • The temple.

    Atherton, Australia

    Hou Wang Temple

    The last timber and iron Chinese temple in Australia.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple

    A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

  • Hereford, England

    Black and White House Museum

    This iconic Tudor home-turned-museum offers a unique glimpse into the everyday life of a prosperous family during the early modern period.

  • Santa Fe Depot in Shawnee, Oklahoma

    Shawnee, Oklahoma

    Santa Fe Depot

    Though it's no longer a functioning train depot, this castle-like structure is an important piece of Oklahoma history.

  • Inside the mansion/art gallery.

    Ubud, Indonesia

    Blanco Renaissance Museum

    Visitors to this museum will find architectural oddities, an art gallery, and an unlikely bird sanctuary.

  • Kanazawa, Japan

    Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

    Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

  • Grounds of the museum

    Kathmandu, Nepal

    Taragaon Museum

    This Kathmandu museum, built in an Austrian modernist style, looks like a set from Star Wars.

  • Backyard.

    Taxco, Mexico

    Casa Figueroa

    This "cursed house" features secret rooms, hidden vaults, and dark escape tunnels.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.