First Person: Ushering In the Future at the Shrine of the Book

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It is the most distinctive building in modern Israel. It is also one of the most visited—a destination for virtually everyone who travels to the Holy Land. It is the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

But it needs work—and money.

Dedicated on April 20, 1965, after eight years of planning and construction, the shrine was built to house the seven original Dead Sea Scrolls found by the Bedouin in 1947. Three of these scrolls were purchased for the new State of Israel by Professor Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University; the other four were secured by his son Yigael Yadin. To this original collection, an additional manuscript has now been added—the Dead Sea Scroll known as the Temple Scroll, which Yadin obtained after the 1967 Six-Day War. The Shrine of the Book also houses the oldest copy of the Hebrew Bible (the Aleppo Codex)^a and other related manuscripts and artifacts.

Designed by the American architect Armand Bartos and his colleague Frederick Kiesler, the building has been called “a milestone in the history of world architecture.”¹

The exterior is dominated by two unique architectural features: a shimmering white dome that appears to float on the ground and a freestanding polished black basalt slab. Like almost every element in the building, inside and out, the contrast is symbolic—the white representing the “Sons of Light” and the black standing for the “Sons of Darkness” so vividly described in one of the scrolls. The black slab also symbolizes the oppression suffered by the Jewish people over thousands of years, while the white dome represents the new hope of a brighter future as they rebuild the land to which they have returned.

The dome, which replicates the shape of one of the lids of the scroll jars, is made of white tiles. Fountains wash the tiles with water, giving the dome an added sheen in the sunlight. At the opening of the shrine (and at the colloquium observing the 50th anniversary of the scrolls’ discovery), a line of torches was placed atop the black slab, creating a contrast between fire and water. (At one time this was considered, but rejected, as a permanent feature of the building. Should it be reconsidered?)

One enters the shrine by walking down a stairway, not unlike the steps of a mikveh, a ritual bath of purification—many of which were found at Qumran. As one descends, it is as if one were cleansing oneself in preparation for a holy experience. One then enters the building itself by passing through a long, dimly lit tunnel, at the end of which—directly beneath the white dome—is the “cave” (some might say the holy of holies) where the scrolls themselves are shown. In the center of this room is an extraordinarily impressive display: a large drum, around which was wound the complete 2,000-year-old Isaiah Scroll—66 chapters in all. On top of the drum is a wooden handle shaped like the handles of the Torah scrolls used in synagogues even today.

Around the walls of the “cave” are eight specially designed display cases where other precious manuscripts are shown. These include scrolls from the Dead Sea caves, as well as second-century A.D. manuscripts from the so-called southern caves and some important Biblically related manuscripts.

For nearly 30 years, nothing much happened at the Shrine of the Book. Seldom were the exhibits changed, and seldom were public events held. In 1994, however, a new 074curator was appointed. Adolfo Roitman was determined to change things. Intent on making a visit to the Shrine of the Book a learning experience as well as a quasi-religious experience, he has changed some of the displays and has installed an effective new exhibit entitled “A Day in the Life of Qumran.”

In the future, Roitman also hopes to offer the public a wide range of seminars, outreach programs and special activities by establishing a center for instruction and education at the shrine. And he hopes to enliven each visitor’s experience by adding audio-visual elements and live presentations to the current display scheme inside the building’s central hall. Other plans include the development of a Web-based virtual tour of the shrine, complete with interactive features for exploring the world of Biblical archaeology.

And yet, despite the excitement these ideas have generated, Roitman has in some respects been stymied—both by the building itself and (yes, here it is again) by the lack of money.

The building, though certainly effective and awe inspiring, is inflexible. Problems have arisen. As careful readers will have noticed, I said the complete Isaiah Scroll was displayed around the drum at the center of the main exhibit room. It was, but no longer is. Wound around the drum, the scroll was turned in a direction opposite from the way it had been rolled for two millennia. As a result, it soon began to develop cracks and finally had to be taken down to be preserved. It has been replaced by a poor replica, so now people travel hundreds and even thousands of miles to see a mere copy of the original.

The eight display cases around the drum, along the outer wall of the main room, are built as permanent features. Yet they are meant to hold scrolls of different shapes and sizes. But that is not the worst of it. The manuscripts are all displayed vertically. Although this works for a while, eventually the manuscripts begin to sag. Roitman is experimenting with new display cases that will not take such a toll on the manuscripts.

Equally important, the shrine needs additional space that was not planned for, especially an auditorium where visitors can receive an orientation. Architect Armand Bartos, who is still active at age 90, must first be satisfied with the architectural changes. Then the money must be found for what promises to be an enormously expensive project. Funding for the original building was pledged by American philanthropist Samuel Gottesman. By the time the building opened, he had passed away, but the money was made available nonetheless. He 075was represented at the shrine’s dedication by his daughter Joy Gottesman Ungerleider, who for more than 25 years would continue to be a major funder of projects in Israel, to which she had an unlimited and passionate commitment. In 1994 she too died prematurely—of pancreatic cancer. While her foundation continues, the directors so far have not stepped forward to provide the funds needed for a major overhaul of the Shrine of the Book. Whether they will do so in the future remains to be seen.

In the meantime, plans for renovation and extension of the building, as well as of the programs offered at the shrine, should proceed apace. Let the imagination soar. Somehow the money will be found.

It is the most distinctive building in modern Israel. It is also one of the most visited—a destination for virtually everyone who travels to the Holy Land. It is the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. But it needs work—and money. Dedicated on April 20, 1965, after eight years of planning and construction, the shrine was built to house the seven original Dead Sea Scrolls found by the Bedouin in 1947. Three of these scrolls were purchased for the new State of Israel by Professor Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University; the other four were secured […]