For the first time in years, the oldest complete biblical manuscript in the world will be displayed to the public in its entirety
On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, the Israel Museum is honored to invite the general public to a rare and unique encounter with one of the world's most important treasures: the complete Isaiah Scroll (7.17 meters long) from Qumran, which will be displayed in its entirety for only four months in a new exhibition, 'Consolation from the Desert'.
This is an extraordinary opportunity to stand before the oldest and most complete biblical manuscript discovered to date, a scroll over 2,100 years old that contains all 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah, as we know them today. The scroll will be displayed in a unique 8-meter-long display case, imported from Belgium, under special, controlled climate conditions. Up to 25 visitors will be allowed into the hall at a time, for a period of 7 minutes. No more
photography inside the hall
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The Judean Desert Scrolls, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in the Qumran caves on the shores of the Dead Sea, are considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. The most important and prominent of them is the complete Isaiah Scroll, dating to approximately 125 BCE – about a thousand years before the oldest manuscripts of the Bible known to us previously.
The Great Isaiah Scroll is an authentic source from the Second Temple period, preserving historical knowledge dating back some 2,000 years. Visitors will experience not only a familiar biblical text, but a real ancient artifact, a rare relic that has preserved its integrity in the desert conditions and has become a living testimony to the ancient world. The scroll constitutes a national and cultural treasure of the highest order. Many expressions that we use today are taken from the book of Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; "A wolf lived with a lamb"; "And a redeemer came to Zion".
The Judean Desert Scrolls, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in the Qumran caves on the shores of the Dead Sea, are considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. The most important and prominent of them is the complete Isaiah Scroll, dating to approximately 125 BCE – about a thousand years before the oldest manuscripts of the Bible known to us previously.
The Great Isaiah Scroll is an authentic source from the Second Temple period, preserving historical knowledge dating back some 2,000 years. Visitors will experience not only a familiar biblical text, but a real ancient artifact, a rare relic that has preserved its integrity in the desert conditions and has become a living testimony to the ancient world. The scroll constitutes a national and cultural treasure of the highest order. Many expressions that we use today are taken from the book of Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; "A wolf lived with a lamb"; "And a redeemer came to Zion".
The special exhibition offers visitors a multi-sensory journey: it all begins with a reconstruction of Cave No. 1 in Qumran, where the audience can experience the miraculous story of the discovery of the scroll in the darkness of the desert. From the cave, the journey will move on to the story of the journey the scroll took until it reached its resting place in the Hall of the Book, and will culminate in front of the display of the complete scroll in all its glory – 7.17 meters of living testimony to history.
It will be exhibited until June 6, 2026
Location: Bella and Hari Wexner Hall, Israel Museum, Jerusalem Curator: Hagit Maoz
Assistant Curator: Omrit Cohen
The Israel Museum begins in 2026 with five new exhibitions and a large-scale installation by Anselm Kiefer.
Museo de Israel: Inauguration of the Winter Exhibition Season
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem presents new exhibitions for 2026, which reflect the diversity of its collections and its rich artistic heritage. The five new exhibitions are added to the ones that already form part of the museum, creating a tapestry of local and universal art, history and culture, possible only in the largest museum in Israel
Museo de Israel: Inauguration of the Winter Exhibition Season
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem presents new exhibitions for 2026, which reflect the diversity of its collections and its rich artistic heritage. The five new exhibitions are added to the ones that already form part of the museum, creating a tapestry of local and universal art, history and culture, possible only in the largest museum in Israel
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem is presenting new exhibitions that reflect the museum's diverse collections and rich artistic heritage. The five new exhibitions join the museum's ongoing exhibitions, which together create a tapestry of local and universal art, history, and culture that is only possible at the largest museum in Israel.
Photos Silvia G. Golan
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