From the First Millennium to the third, the Content is the Message
Susan Hazan , The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

Session: Society/ Impact: Social Context

The Dead Sea Scrolls, at the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem represent not only a unique archaeological discovery but also the religious and cultural message of the Qumran community of the Second Temple and the written word of the Bible. The cultural legacy of these rare documents only opens up new vistas on ancient Judaism and throws light on the background and origin of first century Christianity, but also provides a contemporary vehicle for interfaith study and dialogue.

Identifying the correct digital solutions to illustrate the manuscripts must reflect their compelling aesthetic presence, scribal features, and historical context as well as the need to disseminate the cultural and spiritual messages that reflect insights to contemporary questions. This challenge has been met by the curatoral and educational team of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. A unique aspect of their pedagogical approach is the inter-disciplinary nature and the use of a wide range of educational activities, including traditional reading and lecture materials, but also video films, multimedia, other state of the art technologies, and active independent research by the students-participants.

This paper will discuss the numerous digital platforms that have evolved out of this project.

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