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Show ArtEntertainment Dead Sea Jessica Van Leeuwen Staff Reporter From the hidden caves near the Dead Sea to the mountains of SLC, artifacts validating the Bible are on display at The Leonardo. The Leonardo takes visitors back in time with over 600 artifacts and fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls in their current exhibit, Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times. The Leonardo is one of six museums in the country to house this exhibit. Discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947, the scrolls made from papyrus, parchment and bronze date back to 250 B.C. and verify the Old Testament. They have impacted the Christian, Islamic and Jewish religions. Its amazing to think about how much these artifacts have influenced our modern-da- y view of history and religion, said Todd Patton, exhibit visitor. Not only does The Leonardo show you the scrolls themselves, but also objects that put the scrolls into context and create an entire picture of ancient Israel, the center of religious worship. Dark hallways with scriptures projected on the wall guide visitors into the introductory portion of the exhibit. There, visitors are met by a museum historian that narrates details about the upcoming experience. Thats the Dead Sea 20 miles from the Temple of Jerusalem, 1,400 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation on earth, said Brandon Peterson, Dead Sea Scrolls guide. Surrounded by desert, the same sands the Bible tells us Abraham, Isaac and Jacob once walked the sacred land. Amongst replicated pots that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in, visitors take in more and more background Oil lamps from ancient Judea (top right). Pieces in FORUMFORTNIGHTLY.COM downtown information that will set up the rest of their adventure back in time. Peterson said the shepherd who discovered the scrolls was disappointed. Disappointed to find no treasure inside the cave, just a parchment scroll, animal skin wrapped in linen, amongst pieces of pottery and this parchment that had ancient Hebrew writing on it. Peterson said the scrolls are more valuable than any gold or gem ever found. Parchment and paper disintegrate, they burn, animals eat them and water and humidity destroy them, but not in dry caves at the lowest elevation point on earth, Peterson said. The ancient scrolls survived for 2,000 years before a shepherd found them. Coins, pottery and seeds are just a few of the objects that The Leonardo displays exhibit. Each artifact in the two-story is accompanied by a short description. Eventually, visitors find themselves cir- cling the encased remains of these historical fragments of the Old Testament. Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times is more than just an exhibit-- - its a journey into the ancient past, said Paris Gibson, events administrator at The Leonardo. You leave here with a newfound connection to people that lived thousands of years ago, people that weren't so different from you and me. The Leonardo, located in downtown at 209 E. 500 S., will be displaying Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times until April 27. Student tickets are available for $19.95 with a valid student ID. Tours of the exhibit are open Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and start every 30 minutes. ofthe Exodus section of the Dead Sea Scrolls (middle). The desert orientation theatre at the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit (bottom). Photo courtesy of The Leonardo Facebook Page |