Second group of Dead Sea Scrolls and Ten Commandments displayed at the ROM

Second installation of Dead Sea Scrolls on view from October 10

Since its June 27th opening at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World has showcased eight Dead Sea Scrolls. Complemented by full interpretations, translations and background information, and delivered within the context of the tumultuous period in which they were written and hidden, the Scrolls have captivated exhibition visitors. From October 10, these first eight Scrolls will be replaced by eight others. Informative interpretations and translations will continue to enhance the visitor experience as will 200 artifacts, already displayed and on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the ROM’s own collections.

As in the first installation, this second grouping will feature two Scrolls specially conserved for their ROM appearance. Both written in Hebrew and found in 1952 in Cave 4, Deuteronomy, a Biblical Scroll dated to 1st century CE, and the Communal Ceremony, a non-Biblical Scroll dated to 30 – 1 BCE, have been newly conserved prior to this, their first public display.

Among the other Scrolls to be displayed in this second rotation:

• Psalms: naming King David as author of the Psalms and demonstrating the ancient tradition of David as the greatest of poets, this particular Scroll is the earliest known copy of the book of Psalms, dated to 1st century BCE. It is also the most substantial, with as many as 51 individual psalms on the original Scroll.

• Papyrus Bar Kokhba 46: this lease agreement, in which the lessee consents to pay a certain amount in return for the crops grown within the property, dates to roughly November 134 CE, during the Second Judean Revolt. The opening mentions Simeon Bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba), principal leader of the Revolt. The text is written in Mishnaic Hebrew, which differs slightly from earlier biblical Hebrew.

• Isaiah: the book of Isaiah is full of prophesies, including predictions of the end of times, a theme prevalent among Judaic groups in the Second Temple period. Many groups during this period and beyond (including the Gospel writers) quoted from the book of Isaiah, interpreting events in their own age as having been originally predicted by the prophets. The Scroll is dated to 60 CE.

From Saturday, October 10 to Sunday, October 18, in addition to this second installation of Scrolls, the ROM is privileged to showcase one of the oldest copies of the text of the Ten Commandments. These legal precepts have served, and continue to serve, as a meaningful moral code for numerous faiths. For many in the West, the Ten Commandments have shaped laws, institutions and ethical beliefs. Due to the Scroll’s fragile nature, and its sensitivity to light and humidity, the Ten Commandments will be publicly displayed at the ROM for a total of 80 hours only during its week long appearance. The Ten Commandments is included in general Museum admission.

Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World is a unique opportunity to view one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century - the earliest record of biblical patriarchs and prophets known to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. From June 27, 2009 to January 3, 2010, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is featuring 16 authentic Dead Sea Scrolls in two three-month rotations. On display in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall on Level B2 in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, Dead Sea Scrolls is one of the most significant exhibitions in the ROM’s history.

Dead Sea Scrolls: Words that Changed the World closes to the public on Sunday, January 3, 2010.