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113-678: The collection is displayed in the $ 400-million Museum of the Bible which opened in 2017 in Washington, DC. The collection is named for the Green family , founders and leaders of Hobby Lobby , the world's largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer. The collection was assembled beginning in November 2009 by its original director, ancient/medieval manuscript specialist Scott Carroll, in cooperation with Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby and

226-664: A Christian Palestinian Aramaic uncial manuscript of the Old and New Testament. Paleographically the Greek section has been assigned to the eighth century (or seventh century), and the Christian Palestinian Aramaic section to the sixth century. Other items in the Green Collection include: In 2015 questions were raised about the provenance of some articles in the collection when The Daily Beast ran

339-505: A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ark Encounter, during which members of the media and an estimated 7,000 donors to the project were given an early tour of the ark. According to the park's publicists, there were 30,000 visitors in its first six days of operation (an average of 5,000 per day). Tri-State Freethinkers planned to protest the Ark Encounter's opening with a nearby billboard depicting people drowning around Noah's Ark with

452-617: A theme park called Ark Encounter that, as they claimed, would "lend credence to the biblical account of a catastrophic flood and to dispel doubts that Noah could have fit two of every kind of animal onto a 500-foot-long ark". The partners projected that the fully completed park would cost $ 150 million, which they intended to raise privately. Under a program enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2010, Ark Encounter investors applied for Economic Development Incentives that would allow them to recoup 25 percent of

565-655: A "religious organization creating their own alternative science in a legitimate looking museum." The Ark Encounter was chosen as the Best Religious Museum in the 2020 USA Today /10Best.com Readers Choice Awards. Its sister attraction, the Creation Museum, was ranked second. Polling for the award was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in 2023, when the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum were again voted first and second, respectively, in

678-399: A 2,500-seat theater on the park's grounds. The theater was originally projected to be completed in time to host the "Equipping Families to Stand" conference, scheduled for July 18, 2018, but construction has been delayed, and the building was subsequently projected to open before the end of 2018. AiG also announced a new children's play area scheduled to open in spring 2019 and an expansion to

791-445: A 2017 civil forfeiture action United States of America v. Approximately Four Hundred Fifty Ancient Cuneiform Tablets and Approximately Three Thousand Ancient Clay Bullae , after which Hobby Lobby agreed to forfeit and return more than 5500 artifacts, and to pay of a fine of $ 3 million. The artifacts in question had likely been looted from Iraq . Hobby Lobby was found to have used couriers that had willfully used methods to conceal

904-558: A 500-person amphitheater. Here, the museum sponsors scholarly lectures, as well as multimedia performances relating to the Bible. Notably, the tour of the Broadway production of Amazing Grace opened at the museum's World State Theater. The fifth floor also contains separate exhibit space for displays presented by the Israel Antiquities Authority . The sixth floor consists of a rooftop viewing area overlooking

1017-527: A blacksmith. Bays on the third deck contain displays presenting what AiG believes might have happened inside and outside the ark during the flood. Displays in three of the bays include artifacts from the Green Collection and promote the Museum of the Bible , a Washington, D.C. attraction constructed by the Green family , who donated to the Ark Encounter's construction. RoadsideAmerica.com rated

1130-459: A date (7/7) chosen to correspond with Genesis 7 :7: "And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood." AiG also announced that, for the first 40 days and 40 nights of Ark Encounter's operation – an allusion to the inundation period (rain and subterranean hydrological eruptions) of the biblical flood – it would extend its hours of operation, offering day and evening tickets. On July 5, AiG held

1243-458: A documentary about the Ark Encounter entitled We Believe in Dinosaurs . The filmmakers stated that their intention was to produce "a non-judgmental look at the Ark Encounter and its history", but upon release, Ken Ham called the film "an agenda-driven propaganda piece that does not rise to the level of a real documentary". Filmmakers Monica Long Ross and Clayton Brown followed the storyline of

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1356-581: A professor at George Washington University specializing on the Old Testament. Stracqualursi wrote that Rollston "said he was 'particularly pleased' that the museum chose to be 'honest' about the scrolls because museums are not generally candid about artifacts potentially being forgeries." Ark Encounter Ark Encounter is a Christian theme park that opened in Williamstown, Kentucky , United States, in 2016. The centerpiece of

1469-568: A relief depicting the creation account in Genesis. There is also a grand lobby with a 140-foot (42 meter) LED ceiling allowing for changing visual effects and messages. On the first floor, guests may experience a virtual reality tour of significant locations in the Bible, such as the Sea of Galilee or the Temple Mount. Guests will also find on this floor an exhibit displayed in partnership with

1582-653: A story about two or three hundred cuneiform tablets purchased from an Israeli antiquities dealer and confiscated by US Customs when they were being shipped to the Green collection storage facility in Oklahoma City in 2011. As of 2015, the tablets remained impounded as a legal dispute regarding the possible illegal purchase of antiquities removed from a conflict zone (Mesopotamia) proceeds. The museum previously held 16 purported Dead Sea Scrolls , but in March 2020, all of

1695-413: Is a decision of local school boards but that such trips should be directly related to curriculum. He said it is not appropriate for "outside third parties to dictate field trip selections." Contending that FFRF was incorrect in their assertion, Ham posted on his blog that he would encourage public school groups to visit the ark by offering admission of $ 1 per child and no charge for accompanying teachers for

1808-515: Is a museum in Washington, D.C. , United States, owned by Museum of the Bible, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 2010 by the Green family. The museum documents the narrative, history, and impact of the Bible . It opened on November 17, 2017, and has 1,150 items in its permanent collection and 2,000 items on loan from other institutions and collections. Though the museum claims it

1921-484: Is about the absolutely wrong idea that the Earth is 6,000 years old that's alarming to me." Earlier in the debate, Ham stated, "My biggest concern is you're teaching generations of young people that they're just animals." Footage from Nye's visit was subsequently included in the documentary film Bill Nye: Science Guy , which was released in 2017. The Freedom From Religion Foundation , an organization that advocates for

2034-660: Is developing the narrative of the Bible floor. Jonathan Martin Creative recreated a Nazareth village from the first century. C&G Partners led the design of the impact of the Bible floor. Previous work by C&G Partners includes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum . The museum contains more than 40,000 objects and artifacts, ranging from

2147-428: Is held 15 feet (4.6 m) off the ground by a series of concrete towers. The starboard side of the hull merges into three 80-foot (24 m) masonry towers containing stairwells, elevators, and restrooms. Besides the Ark Encounter itself, there are a handful of other attractions within the theme park, including Emzara 's Kitchen, a two-story, buffet-style restaurant with a capacity of 1,500 guests, making it one of

2260-438: Is much that makes this museum great. The design of the space is stunning and well thought out. Likewise, the impressiveness of the technology cannot be overstated   [...] Finally, the collection is notable for its size and breadth   [...] Yet, despite all of this, MOTB remains a confusing amalgamation of historical and biblical scholarship, Evangelical influence, and the desire to be a modern attraction. While MOTB's intent

2373-777: Is nonsectarian and "is not political, and it will not proselytize", members of the board of directors sign a "faith statement" regarding the truth of the Bible. In the year before its launch, the museum fielded questions about the acquisition of its collection, including a federal case over smuggled Iraqi antiquities and thousands of clay artifacts, as well as the provenance of some of its exhibits. The museum's dedication ceremony received an official pontifical blessing from Pope Francis , and people in attendance included Cardinal Donald Wuerl , musician CeCe Winans , Senate Chaplain Barry Black , Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser , and Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer . The Museum of

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2486-467: Is not necessarily proselytization, its aims and purpose are often obscured by unspoken ideological and theological battles raging just under the surface. With all of the forces pulling at Museum of the Bible, it loses its sense of identity and risks becoming an Evangelical tourist attraction, though it has the potential to be much more. At first, the museum came under criticism for the original wording of its mission, which described an Evangelistic purpose of

2599-599: Is to invite all people to engage with the transformative power of the Bible." Lawrence Schiffman , an authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and professor of Hebrew and Jewish studies at New York University stated, with respect to the Museum of the Bible: The overarching narrative is the impact of the Bible   [...] its own internal history of how it came together, spread and was passed on. It exudes one of

2712-659: The Epic of Gilgamesh , which was discovered in Iraq in 1853, sold by the Jordanian Antiquities Association to an antiquities dealer in 2003, and sold again by an auction house to Hobby Lobby in 2014 for $ 1.6 million. The auction house lied about how the artifact had entered the market, claiming it had been on the market in the United States for decades. In September 2019, federal authorities seized

2825-459: The COVID-19 pandemic . During the closure, AiG staff conducted events on Facebook Live , but no visitors were allowed in the park, and many of its staff members were temporarily laid off. After Beshear lit the governor's mansion with green lights as a show of solidarity and compassion for the victims of COVID-19 , AiG lit the Ark Encounter green as well. Upon reopening on June 8, AiG limited

2938-709: The Dishna Papers (3rd/4th century), the Washington Pentateuch (ca. 1000), the Hours and Psalter of Elizabeth de Bohun, Countess of Northampton (1330–1340), the Lipnice Bible (1421), a Wycliffite New Testament (first half of the 15th century), the prayer book for young Charles V (1516–1519), and many others. Equinox owners and "The Jewish Table" authors Todd and Ellen Gray operate a 165-seat, Mediterranean-inspired, fine-dining restaurant inside

3051-733: The International Spy Museum , and the Newseum . The museum was constructed in the former Design Center, an historically protected Renaissance Revival building close to the National Mall and the United States Capitol. Donations from the Green Collection are made to the Museum of the Bible, providing a tax write-off to Hobby Lobby. Museum of the Bible The Museum of the Bible

3164-638: The National Mall and U.S. Capitol , stained glass exhibits, and a ballroom that seats 1,000 guests. The museum's artifact research facility and reference library is located in a one-story addition to the roof of a neighboring office complex. Several museum partners are responsible for the design and layout of the various exhibits. The PRD Group was responsible for the history of the Bible floor. PRD Group has previously collaborated on exhibits at Smithsonian National Museum of American History and National Museum of Natural History . BRC Imagination Arts

3277-494: The National Mall in Washington D.C. The primary donors to the museum at launch were Hobby Lobby and its owners, the Green family and the National Christian Foundation . Former museum president Cary Summers said that the goal is to "reacquaint the world with the book that helped make it, and let the visitor come to their own conclusions. ...We don't exist to tell people what to believe about it". In

3390-473: The Tower of Babel ; an aviary ; and a 500-seat special effects theater. In December 2013, the city of Williamstown offered $ 62 million using tax increment financing of bonds to jump-start construction on the Ark Encounter. The unrated bonds were backed by the Ark Encounter's projected future revenues, but the city was not liable for repaying them in the event that the revenues did not materialize. At

3503-451: The separation of church and state . A dispute over AiG's hiring practices was adjudicated in U.S. federal court, which found in 2016 that the organization could require Ark Encounter employees to sign a statement of faith as a condition of their employment, prompting criticism of the park's discriminatory hiring practices. The ark contains 132 bays, each standing about 18 feet (5.5 m) high, arranged into three decks. Visitors enter on

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3616-476: The "Truth Traveler". In July 2021, Ark Encounter announced expansion plans. These plans included a Tower of Babel attraction, an indoor scale model of what Jerusalem may have looked like during the time of Jesus, and a themed carousel. According to Ham, the Tower of Babel attraction is intended to confront racism by showing that humanity is descended from a common ancestor ( monogenism ). On October 22, 2016,

3729-481: The "breach-of-contract" claims from the " bad-faith claims " but the court rejected the request. The case was settled in August 2020 when lawyers for both sides requested that the case be dismissed. Settlement details were not made public. Pursuant to an executive order from Kentucky governor Andy Beshear closing all non-essential businesses in the state, Ark Encounter was temporarily closed on March 17, 2020, during

3842-459: The Ark Encounter hosted the premiere of evangelist Ray Comfort 's film The Atheist Delusion . Ozzy Osbourne and his son, Jack , visited the Ark Encounter in April 2017 to film an episode of their reality television series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour . The episode, entitled "Kentucky Fried Osbournes", aired on A&E on November 29, 2017. Ark Encounter was designated the "Sight of

3955-448: The Ark Encounter is the largest timber frame structure in the United States. AiG considered twelve different possible lengths for the biblical cubit , and AiG chose to use a length of 20.1 inches (51 cm); this produced plans for an ark measuring 510 feet (155 m) long, 85 feet (26 m) wide, and 51 feet (16 m) high. The Ark Encounter consists of approximately 3,300,000 board feet (7,800 m ) of wood. The framing of

4068-528: The Ark Encounter, Bailey Harris states that, while she was impressed with the size of the attraction, she found it “all much sillier than I expected. The dinosaurs that are everywhere in displays with humans, like in the Flintstones, gets old really fast...The antiscience represented along with this magnificence is so dangerous to children...It is designed to overwhelm children with its size and beauty to then present untruths from beginning to end.” The ark

4181-585: The Ark with rainbow colors, the purpose being to "reclaim the symbol from the gay rights movement " and remind viewers of the Noahic covenant . In February 2017, Ken Ham announced AiG would permanently continue the rainbow lighting. Permanent lights were installed in July 2017. AiG also plans to open a "Rainbow Garden" near the petting zoo where flowers create a rainbow display. In November 2017, construction began on

4294-504: The Best Religious Museum category. AiG initially predicted yearly attendance for the attraction of 1.4–2.2 million people. After a year of operation, AiG reported attendance of about 1 million, attributing the lower number to opening in the middle of tourist season. On February 24, 2017, Executive Director of the Grant County Chamber of Commerce Jamie Baker stated that the Ark had drawn additional tourism to

4407-572: The Bible charges for admission. The museum features dining, including a restaurant called Manna that serves kosher food and the Milk and Honey Café. The museum was established as a nonprofit organization in 2010. The museum's building location and design were announced in 2012 when the Green family purchased the 1923 Terminal Refrigerating and Warehousing Co. building, that used to be the Washington Design Center, two blocks from

4520-438: The Bible contains a coherent story. Biblical scholars have also accused the Museum of the Bible as "normalizing a Bible that authorizes white evangelical dominion." Shipments of artifacts imported by Hobby Lobby in 2010 and 2011 were seized by US customs agents. The artifacts, largely clay bullae and cuneiform tablets from ancient Iraq, had in some cases been declared as "tile samples". Federal investigation culminated in

4633-475: The Bible from Abraham through the creation of Israel to the ministry of Jesus and the early church. This floor also contains a large Jewish Bible section. The fourth floor presents biblical history and archaeology. Trobisch stated that the museum "will not whitewash conflicts in Christian history but will explain the arguments that were made at the time". The fifth level contains a performing arts theater with

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4746-657: The Bible ;– the signing of the Declaration of Independence , for example, or the Revolutionary War . The worry is that the museum portrays a story of the Bible that culminates in Protestantism and America. (Baden) In contrast, Christopher Rollston, a professor at George Washington University and expert on the Old Testament, was pleased with the museum's efforts "to be quite historical in

4859-492: The Creation Museum and previously designed attractions for Universal Studios Florida , was part of the planning and design team. The Troyer Group, a construction firm in Mishawaka, Indiana , was contracted to oversee construction of the ark, which was constructed by Amish builders using traditional timber framing techniques. In total, over 1,000 craftsmen were employed in the ark's construction. As possible, board pulling

4972-583: The German researchers, those five showed "characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin". In March 2020, the museum confirmed all sixteen fragments were forgeries. The forgeries are part of a group of about 70 fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls which came onto the market in 2002, all of which are likely forgeries. In her article covering the opening of the museum for ABC News, Veronica Stracqualursi recounts an interview with Christopher Rollston ,

5085-786: The Green Collection appeared at a series of conferences in West Africa in September 2011, and have also been displayed at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum . In honor of the Pope's September 2015 visit to Philadelphia, the Museum of the Bible sponsored a special exhibition of Verbum Domini II at the Philadelphia Convention Center adjacent to the World Meeting. Formed in the summer of 2010,

5198-471: The Green Collection identify and value its items. Academics and textual experts participating in the Scholars Initiative have included: In 2012, Steve Green announced his family's intention to open a permanent institution, which he claimed would be a scholarly museum, not an evangelistic outreach ministry, within the next four years to house the Green Collection. The mission statement of

5311-488: The Green Scholars Initiative, later known as the Scholars Initiative, provides university mentors and student scholars at participating institutions with research opportunities on items from the Green Collection. Participants in the Scholars Initiative must sign non-disclosure agreements, an unusual requirement for humanities scholarship. The scholarly analyses by the Scholars Initiative participants help

5424-664: The Green family, the Hobby Lobby owners who operate a Bible museum and charitable organization in Washington". The museum said it will return the fragments to the Egypt Exploration Society and Oxford University . The Museum of the Bible's board chairman, Steve Green, who is also president of the Hobby Lobby stores, announced the museum will be returning over eleven thousand artifacts to Egypt and Iraq. The collection includes thousands of papyrus scraps and ancient clay pieces. Green admitted, "I knew little about

5537-653: The Greens, into the center of American political life and American cultural life ." However, the Catholic theologian Thomas L. McDonald, writing in the National Catholic Register praised the abundance of material dedicated to the history of the Bible with respect to Catholicism : In 2012, the museum brought its traveling Verbum Domini exhibit to the Vatican, which helped forge relationships with

5650-477: The Interstate 75 interchange at Williamstown, but this allocation was beyond the scope of the state's two-year road funding plan. The 2016 General Assembly allocated $ 10 million to create a new interchange between Kentucky Route 36 (KY 36) and Interstate 75. Until the improvements are completed, AiG is paying for workers to direct traffic on KY 36 near the Ark Encounter. After the initial allocation by

5763-525: The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority, Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo said he believed the incentives to be unconstitutional. He added that he expected the state to be sued and lose a costly lawsuit over the issue. Cary Summers, who headed Herschend Family Entertainment from 1992 to 1998, was hired as the lead consultant for the Ark Encounter. Patrick Marsh, who helped design exhibits for

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5876-638: The Museum creates for its guests a "cultural experience," bringing together "history, art, architecture, theater, and music." John Knutsen, assistant director of the St. Thomas More Institute and coordinator for evangelization and adult faith formation, wrote a review of the museum for The Catholic Herald . Knutsen wrote "Far from offering a shallow presentation, the Museum of the Bible is cultured, erudite, and remarkably diverse." In contrast to these comments, Biblical scholars Joel Baden of Yale Divinity School and Candida Moss of University of Birmingham , who wrote

5989-459: The Museum of the Bible, providing a tax write-off to Hobby Lobby. The museum opened on Friday, November 17, in a private ceremony in the museum's theater that dedicated the facility. Pope Francis sent an official pontifical blessing for the museum's dedication. According to a message from the Vatican 's Cardinal Secretary of State , Pietro Parolin , who had visited Washington earlier in

6102-527: The Vatican Museum and Library. The second floor focuses on the Bible's impact on world culture, in areas like science, justice, and freedom. Another section is dedicated to the Bible's impact in American history. There is also a "flying" tour of Washington D.C. and the biblical references found within the city at some of its most notable landmarks. The third floor presents the general narrative of

6215-529: The Vatican Museums and Vatican Library. A similar exhibit was mounted in Philadelphia during the visit of Pope Francis, continuing the museum's process of courting Catholic leaders and press. The result is a permanent space on the first floor of the museum for rotating exhibits from the Vatican   [...] Pre-Reformation books and illuminated manuscripts, displays of Catholic architecture and art,

6328-545: The Week" for January 1–7, 2018, by Doug Kirby 's RoadsideAmerica.com. The site gave Ark Encounter its highest rating ("The Best"), noting, "the Ark is an attraction that should be visited – if only because it's unlikely that you'll ever visit anything else like it." The review characterized the ark as "a very nuts-and-bolts American Ark, with Noah and his clan in the mold of self-sufficient Pilgrims and innovative pioneers" (emphasis in original). On February 17, 2020, PBS aired

6441-491: The Williamstown bond offering and $ 36 million from individual donations. The second phase of the park construction was projected to commence in 2018 or 2019. The 2014 Kentucky General Assembly allocated $ 1.15 million to Grant County for road improvements to accommodate the heavier traffic expected to be generated by the Ark Encounter. The Assembly also projected the need for $ 9.1 million in 2017 to improve

6554-427: The approved application and filed a new one to receive incentives on the $ 73 million first phase. The new application required a new feasibility study to be conducted. AiG paid for the study, again conducted by Hunden Strategic Partners, which projected a more conservative 400,000 visitors a year, 787 new jobs, and a $ 40 million economic impact. Shortly after the application was given preliminary approval by

6667-528: The area, and that the challenge now was to expand accommodation and other local amenities in order to convert this into economic growth for the county. In March, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau presented the Ark Encounter with its Star of Tourism award for 2016. Bureau President Eric Summe reported a $ 23 million increase in visitor spending in nearby Boone , Kenton , and Campbell counties in 2016 over 2015,

6780-519: The ark consists mostly of Engelmann spruce , while the exterior is made of pine; some of the logs were as long as 50 feet (15 m) long and 36 inches (91 cm) in diameter. The park's structures and infrastructure were constructed using environmentally friendly Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified methods, including geothermal heating , rainwater capture , active and passive solar heating. The Washington Post wrote that

6893-538: The ark protesters to tour the ark; the Northern Kentucky Tribune reported that 21 anti-ark protesters accepted Hovind's offer. The next day, popular science communicator Bill Nye accepted Ken Ham's invitation to tour the Ark Encounter, and they had an informal debate as they toured the structure. Nye stated, "It's all very troubling. You have hundreds of school kids there who have already been indoctrinated and who have been brainwashed. (...) This

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7006-479: The best things about art culture in this country. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Ethiopic, Orthodox – all of them are here. There's a message of shared culture and respect that the museum exudes. Everyone who comes here is going to go out with that message. With its many engaging and interactive elements, the Museum of the Bible has been described by Philip Kennicott as "a new standard for how this country's museums fuse entertainment and education." He went on to say that

7119-487: The bonds would be automatically redeemed. On February 27, 2014, AiG founder Ken Ham announced that his February 4 debate on the viability of creationism with TV personality Bill Nye "the Science Guy" had spurred bond sales, and that the Ark Encounter had raised enough money to begin construction. AiG officials said the final cost of the park at its opening exceeded $ 100 million, including $ 62 million from

7232-451: The book Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby , expressed concerns about the museum's mission, saying, "They have misled the public at large by promoting a curriculum and a museum that tell only the story that the Greens want to tell, without acknowledging that scholars and experts have spent decades, indeed centuries, laboring to provide very different accounts of the Bible and its history." After spending many hours while writing

7345-422: The book with museum founder Steve Green and president Cary Summers, they concluded: It's not really a museum of the Bible, it's a museum of American Protestantism . Their whole purpose is to show this country as a Christian country governed by Christian morality. Their three-minute promo is fascinating demonstration of this problem. At least half of it is a reenactment of American history which has no bearing on

7458-443: The caption "Genocide and Incest Park: Celebrating 2,000 years of myths", but billboard companies Lamar Advertising Company and Event Advertising and Promotions LLC rejected the design. The Courier-Journal reported that approximately 150 opponents of the Ark Encounter gathered near the highway exit to protest the park on its opening day. Eric Hovind of Creation Today led a counter-protest during which he offered to pay for any of

7571-464: The city of Williamstown and about 45 miles (70 km) from AiG's Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. The city of Williamstown designated a 1.25-mile (2.01 km) radius around the Ark Encounter site as a tax increment financing district, meaning 75 percent of sales and property taxes collected in the district would return to Ark Encounter for a period of 30 years. Employees working in

7684-418: The collection's benefactor. The Green Collection is legally owned by Hobby Lobby. After 2016, the Green Collection became known as the Museum Collection. The capstone of the Green Collection is the Codex Climaci Rescriptus , known as Uncial 0250 (in the Gregory-Åland numbering); which is a palimpsest whose underwriting includes pages from a Greek uncial manuscript of the New Testament, as well as pages from

7797-443: The collections of our great national museums and universities are full of the very objects that Hobby Lobby is being fined for smuggling and are seldom required to return or pay compensation." In October 2019, officials from the British Egypt Exploration Society , a nonprofit organization that manages the Papyri Project, alleged that Oxford academic Dirk Obbink engaged in the theft and sale of "at least 11 ancient Bible fragments to

7910-400: The decision to use such techniques was exemplary of "a fundamental shift in how religiously conservative Christians think of two basic biblical ideas: dominion and stewardship". Hydroponic gardens produce lettuce to feed the animals housed at the attraction's petting zoo, as well as the landscape plants for the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. Construction crews began clearing timber from

8023-431: The displays depicting the sinful state of the world before the flood, including a priest sacrificing an infant to an unnamed snake god and people fighting a giant and a dinosaur in a gladiatorial arena, as among the most memorable exhibits in the attraction. Visiting scientists, however, find the juxtaposition of humans and dinosaurs not only ridiculous, but also harmful to young guests. In an interview discussing her tour of

8136-567: The district would also pay a 2 percent employment tax over the same time frame that would go to the Ark Encounter. The Grant County Industrial Development Authority paid Ark Encounter, LLC $ 195,000 to compensate the corporation for the fact that word of their interest in building the attraction in Grant County had leaked early, causing land prices to double in the area. Further, the Grant County Fiscal Court discounted

8249-540: The famous song " The Battle Hymn of the Republic " as well as a replica of the Liberty Bell upon which is engraved the Bible verse from Leviticus "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof". The roof of the museum features a Biblical garden , where guests can see plant varieties mentioned throughout the Bible. The manuscript collection of the Museum of the Bible includes one of

8362-599: The feasibility study for AiG's Ark Encounter and an attitudinal survey included in Ken Ham's book Already Gone ; ARC founder C. Britt Beemer was credited as a co-author of the book. This projected the park could employ 900 people, attract as many as 1.6 million visitors in its first year of operation, and generate a $ 214 million economic impact for the region. The group selected an 800-acre (320 ha) parcel near Interstate 75 in Grant County, Kentucky , near

8475-566: The fragments were confirmed to be archaeological forgeries . On October 23, 2013, a special exhibition drawn from the Green collection, Book of Books , opened at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, Israel. It will be in Jerusalem until May 24, 2014. It then will become part of the permanent exhibition in the new museum. Select items from Passages , the Green Collection, and items on loan from other private collections around

8588-553: The initial nonprofit filing in 2010, the purpose of the museum was stated thus: "to bring to life the living word of God, to tell its compelling story of preservation, and to inspire confidence in the absolute authority and reliability of the Bible." The estimated $ 400 million project updated the historically protected structure as well as adding two additional floors and a rooftop café and garden. The building's 1923 original red brick, architecture and ornamentation were restored, with new bricks imported from Denmark . The primary building

8701-415: The largest restaurants in the world. The park also has ziplining and a virtual reality theater. There is also a zoo, called Ararat Ridge Zoo, on the grounds. Live animals are sometimes brought into the Ark exhibit from the zoo. On December 1, 2010, the young Earth creationism group Answers in Genesis (AiG) and the for-profit corporation Ark Encounter, LLC announced that they would partner to build

8814-404: The lawsuit, an access road was damaged by heavy rains in 2017 and 2018, which caused a landslide. Insurance companies cited an exclusion for correcting design deficiencies or faulty workmanship. The suit asked for compensatory and punitive damages. The ark itself was not damaged in the incident, and the attraction remained open to visitors. The insurance company, Allied World, applied to separate

8927-518: The lowest deck and move between decks on ramps constructed through the center of the ark. Bays on the first deck contain models of some animals that AiG believes could have been on the ark. The models are meant to represent " kinds " of animals, which AiG says gave rise to modern animals after the flood. Prior to the Ark's opening, media outlets reported it would feature models of dinosaurs and " Biblical unicorns ". The second deck contains more animal models, along with dioramas of Noah's workshop and

9040-751: The museum collection for its opening. When the museum catalog was released to the public, however, several outside experts expressed concern that the museum had not adequately accounted for the fragments' provenance. Arstein Justnes, a professor of biblical studies at the University of Agder in Norway , declared they were outright forgeries. The museum subsequently enlisted the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing ( Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und Prüfung ) to analyze

9153-427: The museum would bring people to Christianity, the museum is not created as a tool of evangelizing, “We’re not discussing a lot of particulars of the book. It’s more of a high-level discussion of here’s this book, what is its history and impact and what is its story." The Greens identified Washington, DC , Dallas , and New York City as finalists for the museum's location. In July 2012, the Green Collection announced

9266-436: The museum's collections, was hired to advise on new acquisitions, identify the storylines for the museum's exhibits, and supervise a team of thirty scholars and curators. Indiana Wesleyan University professor Jerry Pattengale serves as Executive Director of Education Initiatives. The museum has an external board of advisors, and works with Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and other religious and secular institutions. Each of

9379-434: The museum, however, as found in its 501(c)3 tax filings for 2011, the most recent year available, is "To bring to life the living Word of God, to tell its compelling story of preservation, and to inspire confidence in the absolute authority and reliability of the Bible." More recently, Green told a press conference that the Museum will focus on the Bible's impact, history and narrative, explaining that while he might hope that

9492-452: The museum, namely, to "inspire confidence in the absolute authority and reliability of the Bible." A later statement shifted away from that language. A revised 2013 mission statement reads, "We exist to invite all people to engage with the Bible. We invite Biblical exploration through museum exhibits and scholarly pursuits." The current mission statement reads "Museum of the Bible is a global, innovative, educational institution whose purpose

9605-435: The museum. The Grays also provide catering for events at the museum. The museum also contains a more casual lunch and coffee shop, where some of the food offerings are certified as kosher . Historians Kelly Gannon and Kimberly Wagner evaluated the museum as a "testament to the power of Evangelical impulses tempered by a desire to legitimate the Bible as a centerpiece of conversation in American life." They conclude: There

9718-503: The number of visitors allowed in the park to one-third of its capacity to facilitate social distancing and observed other sanitation guidelines recommended by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In August 2020, Ark Encounter officials announced it would host a Christian music festival the following year that would last "40 days and 40 nights." Also in August 2020, Ark Encounter opened a new $ 3 million virtual reality experience called

9831-640: The park is a large representation of Noah's Ark , based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible . It is 510 feet (155.4 m) long, 85 feet (25.9 m) wide, and 51 feet (15.5 m) high. Ark Encounter is operated by Answers in Genesis (AiG), a young Earth creationist organization that also operates the Creation Museum 45 miles (70 km) away in Petersburg, Kentucky . Australian creationist and CEO of AiG Ken Ham founded

9944-447: The park. The theme park promotes pseudoscientific young Earth creationist beliefs about the age of the universe , age of the Earth , and co-existence of humans and non-avian dinosaurs . After feasibility studies projected that the park would be a boon to the state's tourism industry, Ark Encounter received tax incentives from the city, county , and state to induce its construction. This drew criticism from groups concerned with

10057-523: The petting zoo, projected to open by mid-2019. The Ark Encounter's dispute with the FFRF that began upon the former's opening continued, with the latter sending letters to 1,000 school districts surrounding the attraction after AiG offered free admission to school trips. In May 2019, Ark Encounter filed a federal lawsuit against its five insurance carriers for not covering nearly $ 1 million in damages from roadway failure subsequent to rain. According to

10170-486: The project's construction costs by keeping a portion of the park's sales taxes during its first ten years of operation. Receipt of the incentives would be contingent upon Ark Encounter meeting established performance goals upon opening. A press release from Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear 's office cited a feasibility study commissioned by Ark Encounter, LLC and conducted by consumer research corporation America's Research Group Limited, Inc. The company had also conducted

10283-445: The provenance of the allegedly stolen items. The museum released a statement that these artifacts were never owned by the Museum of the Bible and were never intended to be part of their collection. In 2018, the items were returned to Iraq, and the company paid a $ 3 million fine. Scott Thumma, a dean and professor of sociology of religion at Hartford Seminary , defended Hobby Lobby during the smuggling controversy. Thuma stated: "Many of

10396-605: The purchase of the building housing the Washington Design Center in DC, for a reported $ 50 million, to house the as-yet-unnamed national Bible museum. The building is located two blocks from the National Mall at 300 D. Street SW, near the Federal Center SW Metro station. The museum will reportedly charge admission, as do other private museums in Washington, such as the National Building Museum ,

10509-494: The purchase of the entire Ark Encounter site in February 2012. At that time, AiG announced the decision to construct the park in phases, saying it had raised only $ 5 million of the $ 24 million needed to begin construction. The first phase included a full-scale model of Noah's Ark and a petting zoo. Plans for five subsequent phases included replicas of an ancient walled city, a first-century Middle Eastern village, and

10622-409: The remainder of 2016. The Tri-State Freethinkers has protested annually at the Ark Encounter on the anniversary of its opening, citing its hiring practices, anti-evolution teachings, and acceptance of state tax incentives as causes for protestors' concerns. Local media coverage estimated the size of the 2018 protest to be between 120 and 200 people. In December 2016, for the holiday season, AiG lit

10735-475: The role of monks and nuns, and discussions of Catholic saints and scholars are all in the mix. A blog article in The Economist criticized the Museum of the Bible for focusing on Protestant, Jewish and Roman Catholic views, but ignoring the views of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and not mentioning the impact of the Bible on Islam or taking into account the opinions of scholars who do not consider that

10848-441: The sale price of 100 acres (40 ha) of the site to influence the final selection. Citing the proffered incentives, Ark Encounter, LLC made the Grant County site their final selection and scheduled groundbreaking for August 2011. Plans for additional phases of the park include a model of the Tower of Babel , along with replicas of an ancient walled city and a first-century Middle Eastern village. Ark Encounter, LLC finalized

10961-438: The scrolls. The museum kept the fragments prominently on display for its official opening, while testing was still incomplete. The text of display stated that "scholars continue to debate the authenticity of this fragment". In 2018 the museum announced that expert examination had led it to conclude that five of the sixteen fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls were forgeries and that the museum had removed them from display. According to

11074-518: The separation of church and state, sent letters to over 1,000 public school districts in Kentucky , Tennessee , Ohio , Indiana and West Virginia warning them not to organize field trips to the Ark Encounter, arguing that such trips would "expose children to religious proselytizing in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state ." Grant County, Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt responded that approval of field trips

11187-515: The site late in 2012 in order to remove the shagbark hickory trees before the endangered Indiana bats migrated to the area to nest in them. Much of the wood used to build the Ark Encounter was sourced from renewable forests or trees infested by beetles. During construction, former President Jimmy Carter toured the Ark Encounter, accepting an invitation from LeRoy Troyer, president of the Troyer Group. Ark Encounter opened on July 7, 2016,

11300-486: The six floors in the museum contain a different exhibit which emphasizes different aspects of the Bible's history or impact. This includes three permanent exhibit floors, each measuring 55,000 square feet (5,100 m ). The first floor combines ancient artifacts with modern technology meant to immerse the participant in the Bible. The front entrance on 4th Street SW features 40-foot (12 meter) tall, 2.5 tonnes (2,500 kg) bronze front doors with stained glass art containing

11413-571: The state, AiG invested $ 500,000 of its own money into improving KY 36; this, and better-than-expected traffic flow, led to the Kentucky Department of Transportation scaling back the proposed improvements, awarding a $ 3.5 million contract in December 2017. The project was projected to be completed November 2, 2018. In July 2014, with the approved tax incentives set to expire if work on the park had not begun, Ark Encounter withdrew

11526-536: The story of how today's Bible came to be. Portions of Passages and the Green Collection have also been on display on various college and university campuses throughout its worldwide tour, including Baylor University for its conference on "The King James Bible and the World It Made, 1611–2011" in April 2011, Liberty University in September 2011, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in February 2012, and Indiana Wesleyan University in April 2013. Items from

11639-980: The story of the English Bible, was announced to a gathering of business, government, academic and religious leaders at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, DC , on March 31, 2011. Passages made its worldwide debut at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in Oklahoma City —home to Hobby Lobby's headquarters—in May 2011. The exhibit was eventually seen by more than 63,000 people in Oklahoma 's capital city. Visitors to Passages interact with more than 400 rare biblical texts, artifacts and discoveries through multimedia and historical settings in an 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m) exhibit designed to tell

11752-818: The tablet, and in May 2020, a civil complaint was filed to forfeit it. In July 2021 the United States Department of Justice announced it had seized the Gilgamesh tablet from Hobby Lobby for repatriation to Iraq. Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis for the Eastern District of New York stated, "This office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of looted artifacts." Hobby Lobby failed to follow expert advice on antiquities collecting which has resulted in multiple seizures and fines. Founder Steve Green donated Dead Sea Scrolls parchment fragments to

11865-603: The time of Abraham through the New Testament period. Artifacts include biblical papyri, Torah scrolls, rare printed Bibles, Jewish artifacts and contemporary treasures of Christian and Jewish culture. The museum also exhibits significant archaeological artifacts owned by collaborating institutions and private collectors such as the Israel Antiquities Authority . Steve Green has donated other ancient artifacts from his personal collection. Additional initial exhibits include remains from Julia Ward Howe 's original manuscript for

11978-453: The time of the offering, Ark Encounter, LLC had raised approximately $ 14 million toward construction of the park. A group of atheist objectors to the Ark Encounter attempted to disrupt the offering by registering for the sale themselves and conducting a public relations campaign against the bonds. In early January 2014, only $ 26.5 million in bonds had been sold; if at least $ 55 million in bonds were not sold by February 6, all of

12091-420: The week, the Pope stated that "He is confident that those who revere the sacred scriptures as the word of God will here find nourishment for their faith, while many others will be introduced to a fascinating and vital chapter in the spiritual history of the human family". The exhibits intend to offer a scholarly perspective on the impact of the Bible in history. Bible scholar David Trobisch , former director of

12204-420: The wordings of the displays that they have," adding that "they have made it clear that they're willing to listen to scholars' critiques." John Fea, associate professor of American history at Messiah College , and chair of the history department, said, "It's hard to see this as anything other than an attempt to try to bring Christian values in the Bible's teachings as understood by Evangelical Protestants , like

12317-433: The world of collecting ... The criticism of the museum resulting from my mistakes was justified." Manchester University papyrologist Roberta Mazza stated that the Green family "poured millions on the legal and illegal antiquities market without having a clue about the history, the material features, cultural value, fragilities, and problems of the objects." This return includes the "Gilgamesh Dream Tablet," containing part of

12430-564: The world were displayed in St. Peter's Square , Vatican City , for Lent and Easter 2012, highlighting the Jewish and Christian contributions to the formation and preservation of the Bible. The exhibition was repeated in 2014. American Bible Society and the Vatican Library supported this endeavor. Passages , a traveling exhibition featuring select items from the Green Collection that tell

12543-532: The year that the region hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game ; Summe attributed a large part of the increase in spending and hotel occupancy to the opening of the Ark Encounter and an expansion of its sister attraction, AiG's Creation Museum. In June 2017, Mayor Jim Wells of Dry Ridge, Kentucky stated that the Ark Encounter had a positive effect on the town, with hotel occupancy rates increasing from 60 to 98 percent since

12656-619: Was awarded historical status by the District's Historic Preservation Review Board. The glass-enclosed rooftop provides views of the United States Capitol , the Washington Monument and several Smithsonian museums . The construction efforts were led by Clark Construction . The architectural design team was led by SmithGroup . Items from the Green Collection , which is owned by Hobby Lobby, were donated to

12769-414: Was used rather than steaming. Steel nails were used to conform with building code regulations. While the builders originally planned to hold the ark together with wooden pegs, modern building codes required the builders to use steel fasteners, thus 95 tons of metal plates and bolts were used to connect the wood together. The electric lighting inside was designed to look like oil lamps . According to AiG,

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