Year in Review: 2024 at Museum of the Bible

11 min read

As the year comes to a close, we thought it would be fitting to reflect on 2024. Each year the museum has its share of excitement, and this one was no exception—from major and groundbreaking exhibits and big milestones to live shows in our theater and new museum leadership, the museum was hopping.

Come along with us through a tour of this past year!

EXHIBITS AND EDUCATION

Naturally, we had a full roster of new exhibits, all focusing on biblical subjects and themes or the Bible’s impact.

Ecce Homo Behold the Man

Ecce Homo: Behold the Man | February 14 – May 15

Easter is always a special time at the museum. This year’s Easter exhibit, Ecce Homo: Behold the Man, featured artworks from 21 different artists (including Salvador Dalí) displaying the trial and passion of Jesus. Despite depicting the same scenes, each artist used their creative and artistic techniques to give their individual perspectives on the story, drawing emotions from viewers as they reflected on the significance of the Easter season.

In case you missed it, read about the exhibit, view some of the art, and learn the meanings behind the works here.

Crucified Jesus

Stations of the Cross by Gib Singleton | March 1 – April 8

Almost every Easter we also feature the Stations of the Cross by Gib Singleton, reflecting the practice of prayer and contemplation rooted in the traditions of pilgrimage to Jerusalem to walk the path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary on the day of his crucifixion. The bronze sculptures in the exhibit, carefully crafted by artist Singleton, show Jesus’s trek to the cross in amazing yet intense detail.

Hope Amidst Despair: The Prophets

Hope amidst Despair: The Prophets by Jacob Barosin | March 15 – July 9

We had the pleasure of exhibiting works by Jewish artist and Holocaust survivor Jacob Barosin. In Hope amidst Despair: The Prophets by Jacob Barosin, guests walked through a gallery featuring 18 life-size portraits of Hebrew prophets, such as Ezekiel and Jeremiah, as well as several of Barosin’s other works, telling the powerful story of his life and the trials he endured.

In case you missed it, learn more about the inspiring life and legacy of Jacob Barosin and see some of his other art here.

Billy Graham's Canvas Cathedral

**“Personal Stories” Exhibit: Billy Graham’s Canvas Cathedral |** April 19, 2024 – January 26, 2025

At the museum, we like to tell amazing stories. Our rotating “Personal Stories” exhibits feature notable individuals whose lives were greatly impacted by the Bible and who, in turn, impacted their communities and the world. This year, we featured the life and ministry of American evangelist Billy Graham, who had a worldwide impact through his inspiring and powerful teachings. This exhibit features objects such as songbooks from his crusades, a pair of boots he wore in South Korea, and even one of the pulpits he used when preaching.

This exhibit is open until January 26, 2025, don’t miss it!

The Megiddo Mosaic

The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith | September 15, 2024 – July 6, 2025

Our major exhibit of 2024 allows you to walk right into history. The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith features a large mosaic floor from the oldest-known place of Christian worship, which was transported directly from the archaeological site where it was discovered in Israel. The exhibit features many interactives (making your own signet, putting a mosaic together, etc.) as you learn more about the context and history of the mosaic, which is dated to the third century AD before Christianity was even legalized in the Roman Empire.

Thanks to the collaboration between the museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority, guests can explore this amazing and unique exhibit. Over 46,000 guests have already witnessed the story of these early believers, evidenced by the mosaic’s inscriptions and reference to Jesus as God. It’s literally a groundbreaking discovery and is the most significant find in biblical archaeological history since the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Read more about the excavation process and the inscriptions on the mosaic here. This special exhibit is open until July 6, 2025. There’s still time to see this amazing discovery.

Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book

Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book | September 24, 2024 – January 12, 2025

Speaking of significant finds, we unveiled another special and highly anticipated exhibit, Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book. This exhibit features the Afghan Liturgical Quire, the earliest intact Hebrew codex! This ancient book, created in the 700s, contains Sabbath morning prayers, poetry, and a partial Haggadah (which interestingly enough was written upside down). Museum of the Bible’s partnership with Afghanistan officials from the democratically elected government (2002–2021) brought this book to display at the museum to be seen by the public for the first time, showcasing this significant piece of Jewish history. Come see it for yourself!

Read about the fascinating story of how this book was discovered here.

Archaeological Discoveries

Dig Deep: Archaeological Discoveries Events and Programs

Throughout this year, our Education Department, in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority, hosted special Dig Deep programs tailored to students, homeschoolers, and families where guests got a glimpse into the world of archaeology and the chance to do hands-on activities such as making perfumes, coins, and discovering artifacts that provide context for the places and people you read about in the Bible. See what workshops are coming in 2025!

EXPERIENCES

In addition to exhibits and educational activities, we have several experiences designed to engage the senses and immerse guests into various narratives about or inspired by the Bible.

New Testament Experience

The New Testament Experience

On the Stories of the Bible floor, we revamped our New Testament Theater, re-opening it as the New Testament Experience. The theater was expanded into a three-part journey and walk-through experience highlighting the context, life, and ministry of Jesus.

All Creation Sings: An Immersive Worship Experience

A brand-new experience also debuted this year, All Creation Sings: An Immersive Worship Experience, a radiant visual and sensory display taking guests through the history of worship as described in the Bible all the way to how worship is today. You can even touch and interact with certain parts of the display! This experience was designed in partnership with CREATR, a coalition of some of the world’s top Christian worship leaders like Brooke Ligertwood, Sadie Robertson, Brandon Lake, KB, and more—and that brings us to our theater.

THE WORLD STAGE THEATER

Brooke Ligertwood leading worship

This year, we debuted Worship in the Heart, presented by CREATR, a series of concerts featuring some of Christian music’s top names. Brooke Ligertwood began the series and was followed by KB and Passion for evenings full of soulful music in a fully immersive environment, with the theater’s 3D mapping filling the theater with colorful projections. The series will continue into 2025, with the next show featuring Matt Maher.

We also had the pleasure of inviting additional musicians throughout the year such as Shane & Shane, Tenth Avenue North, Big Daddy Weave, Keith and Kristyn Getty, and more!

Prince Caspian

Pilgram's Progress

Live shows of Prince Caspian, based on C. S. Lewis’s classic, and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Paul Bunyan’s timeless tale, were performed by The Logos Theatre. Over 23,000 attendees were whisked away into exciting adventures and timeless stories, all reflecting biblical themes and narratives. Their masterful use of puppetry (some life-size!) and costumes captivated an audience of all ages.

HAPPENINGS IN THE MUSEUM

Elsewhere in the museum, we had even more festivities and excitement. This summer, we welcomed our 3 millionth guests, the Taylors! It was a milestone we excitedly reached in just seven years—a big thank you to all our guests for helping us reach this goal!

3 millionth guests

We’re always working to create the best possible experience for our guests, and we look forward to everything coming in 2025 (here’s a sneak peek: C. S. Lewis “Personal Stories” exhibit, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe live onstage, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, and more!). Stay tuned to see what the museum will be doing throughout the year by connecting with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, and subscribe to get email updates from us to be the first to know about new exhibits and events (and special deals!).

By Elisabeth Chen, Digital Content Editor