
12/28/2020
Today is the Feast of Holy Innocents. This day commemorates the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. The events are described in Matthew 2:16–18.
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Today is the Feast of Holy Innocents. This day commemorates the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. The events are described in Matthew 2:16–18.
Now is the perfect time to begin preparing next year’s Christmas décor! Head to our online museum store to find great deals on biblically related items.
Shop now at https://fal.cn/3crVr.
#OnThisDay in 1932, the Art Deco masterpiece Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City.
The annual Christmas Spectacular debuted in 1933. Beyond the precision dancing and leg kicks of the Rockettes, the event has featured a flying Santa sleigh, plenty of fake snow, and a finale that includes a living Nativity scene as imagined from the story recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, complete with camels, sheep, and donkeys.
In the mid-1800s, Julia E. Smith was the first woman to translate the full Bible.
She spent seven years translating the entire Bible, not once, but five times. Although she was confident about the quality of her work, her translations are now considered lacking. One problem was she was unaware of a special grammatical rule in Hebrew. A word that looks like it is in the future tense in certain cases is actually past tense.
Despite the translation’s shortcomings, it can’t be denied that Smith demonstrated remarkable persistence and dedication in translating the Bible on her own.
New Install 🚨 In 1999, the Benedictines who run Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, announced a project to produce an illuminated manuscript of the Bible.
Over the next 12 years, master calligrapher Donald Jackson, with a team of scribes and artists, produced a manuscript Bible in seven volumes. This is the first manuscript Bible produced anywhere in the world in over 500 years. The Heritage Edition is a full-size, limited, signed, and numbered fine art reproduction of the original. Many of the illuminations have been enhanced by hand, making each set unique.
Birth of Christ, Donald Jackson, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The New Testament’s story of Jesus’s birth is, by any measure, among the most famous stories ever told. There are the angels and the shepherds, the poor couple who find “no room in the inn,” the baby in a manger, the “wise men” of the east, and a young mother pondering all these things in her heart. The child is hailed as the long-awaited Messiah, the savior, the Son of God.
Today, there are a variety of popular Christmas traditions inspired by the biblical story. When people give Christmas gifts, some are practicing a tradition reflecting the gift-giving of the wise men. And when others set a star atop their Christmas tree, they are recalling the star in the Gospel of Matthew that guides the wise men to Jesus.
The Bible pictured here is from 1860 and was signed by Clement C. Moore, the accredited author of the popular poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
In 1823, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published anonymously, but in 1837 Clement Clarke Moore claimed authorship. More commonly called “The Night before Christmas,” it was known throughout the country within a decade of its first appearance and is one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time. Moore was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature, and divinity and biblical learning at the General Theological Seminary in New York City until 1850. #ArtifactoftheDay
See more Christmas-related artifacts on our Collections page: https://fal.cn/3cqiD.
One of the greatest Christmas traditions that came out of the 19th century is Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." It was an immediate best-seller in 1843, with his character Ebenezer Scrooge making a lasting statement on greed to Victorian England.
Perhaps lesser known is Dickens’s “The Life of Our Lord,” written for his children. As each left home, he gave them a copy of the New Testament. “Because,” he said, “it is the best book that ever was or will be known in the world.” #ChristmasEve
In 1891, artist Henry Ossawa Tanner moved to Paris, France, and began focusing on biblical themes. There, he was awarded a medal at the famed Paris Salon for his painting, "Resurrection of Lazarus." The French government bought it as a museum piece.
Later, after spending six months in Jerusalem, he painted "Nicodemus Visiting Jesus," which won the prestigious Lippincott prize. Ten years before his death, Tanner became the first African American to be a member of the National Academy of Design in New York.
Visiting the museum today? Don't miss "A Thrill of Hope" showing in the World Stage Theater at noon and 1:00 p.m. "Joy to the World" is one of the many Christmas carols you'll hear.
Learn more about these performances: https://fal.cn/3cp4e.
Jean-François Champollion, a well-known scholar, philologist, and Orientalist, was born #OnThisDay in Figeac, France. He worked on deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, and, in September 1822, recognized for the first time that the Egyptian hieroglyphic script was a combination of signs representing consonants and whole words, or indicating sounds and classes of words.
Once he understood this, he was able to decipher many hieroglyphic inscriptions. This opened the way to rediscovering much about ancient Egypt's civilization and history, which, in turn, provided scholars with much new knowledge and insight into the history of ancient Israel and many of the events and stories found in the Hebrew Bible.
Have you heard the Huron Christmas Carol? 🎶
This 17th-century piece was originally composed in Wyandot, a language spoken by tribes in the Huron confederation in modern-day Canada. It was the first Canadian Christmas song.
When French Jesuit missionary Father Jean de Brébeuf wanted to tell the story of Jesus’s birth to the Huron, he composed a song in the Huron language that recast the humble beginnings of Jesus’s life in a way they could understand. The wise men who traveled to see Jesus are presented as visiting “chiefs.” Their gifts are not Near Eastern spices, which the people had never heard of, but fox and beaver pelts.
We will be closed to the public beginning Thursday, December 24 through Thursday, January 14. We plan to reopen on January 15.
For continual updates and information, please visit our website: https://fal.cn/3coct.
Today's Storytime episode is about the birth of Jesus! Tune in now to hear the story of Christmas.
To watch more Storytime episodes, visit https://bit.ly/3rmQaKj.
Not only did Charles Wesley help found the Methodist movement with his brother John Wesley, but he is also remembered as one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. He composed more than 6,000 hymns over the course of 53 years, many inspired by the Bible.
His works include some of the most famous in the English hymnic tradition, such as “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” and the Christmas favorite, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
Charles Wesley wrote this letter on September 13, 1783, to William Russel, a music master in Guildford, inquiring about renting a house. Another letter from Charles to Mr. Russel suggests they were friends and knew each other’s families. Learn more: https://fal.cn/3cnxK.
Charlemagne’s reign brought order to medieval Europe, and as scholarship flourished, so too did the production of Bibles. Charlemagne himself recognized the need for a standard edition of the Bible. Over time, things like punctuation and word order had sometimes been altered. So, Charlemagne asked the English scholar, Alcuin of York, to prepare a new Latin Bible. Charlemagne received the new Bible on Christmas Day.
This revision of the Vulgate Bible became a standard from which scribes produced new Bibles. Learn more about Bible translations on our History Floor.
If you were designing a prayer book for a teenage boy, what would you include?
The prayer book of Charles V was custom-made to prepare the young man to rule—and rule well. So what do we find in its pages? We find image after image of suffering and humility. Watch to learn more.
This #ArtifactoftheDay is The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament.
Isaac Watts was an English nonconformist minister and author who is widely regarded today as the “father of English hymnody.” Over the course of his life, he authored approximately 750 hymns, including “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” Perhaps his most beloved hymn, however, is “Joy to the World,” which is based on Psalm 98.
Learn more at https://fal.cn/3cmcU.
Trivia time! Which Gospel does Sam Cooke reference in his song, "Touch the Hem of His Garment," with the lyrics:
"Whoa, there was a woman in the Bible days
She had been sick,
Sick so very long
But she heard 'bout Jesus was passin' by
So, she joined the gathering throng
And while she was pushing her way through
Someone asked her, 'What are you trying to do?'
She said, 'If I could just touch the hem of his garment I know I'll be made whole'"?
A. Matthew
B. Mark
C. Luke
D. John
#DYK that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote one of his most famous poems as a reflection on the Bible? Longfellow's "Psalm of Life," from Genesis 3:10, became what the Poetry Foundation calls a "mainstay of national culture." Another poem he wrote became the basis for the Christmas carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"—his words in its familiar last stanza are a reference to Luke 2:14: "With peace on earth, goodwill to men!"
Let’s debunk some Christmas “myths!”
Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? The Bible says Mary was with Joseph but there’s no mention of a donkey. What about an “innkeeper” declaring there was no room in the inn? There is no mention in the Bible of an innkeeper. Were there three kings on camels at Jesus’s birth? Maybe! Maybe not—the Bible doesn’t say kings were at the manger.
Although there are many parts of the story not in the Bible, the fact is, there is much the Bible does say about the birth of Jesus in the Gospels! Take a look.
Our current Language-in-Focus is Tarahumara. This language is part of the Uto-Aztecan language family and is spoken by approximately 70,000 people in northern Mexico. Two main dialects are the focus of the translation efforts—Tarahumara Baja and Tarahumara Alta.
This particular New Testament is a printed version of the Tarahumara Baja Western dialect spoken in Chihuahua. The translation was completed in 2008. Learn more on our History Floor.
And the winner is... This Nativity by Adrian Gatt and Raymond Zammit, with figures by Jesmond Micallef! 👏👏
This Nativity crib is set in a Maltese house that was partly demolished during the Second World War. The crib will become part of our permanent collection. To learn more about this crib and the others on display in our exhibit, "Christmas in Malta," visit https://fal.cn/3ckAH. Thank you to all who voted!
#DidYouKnow that the earliest known examples of Christian art portraying Bible figures and events are found in tombs?
If you visit Rome and descend into the underground catacombs, you can see paintings on the walls and ceilings of the tunnels where Christian burial niches were carved for the deceased. Images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, Jonah, and other biblical narratives are among them. #BibleHistory
Don't miss tonight's special event, "Night of the Nativity," on TBN! This Christmas special will be hosted by Max Lucado and include musical performances by John Rich Music and Koryn Hawthorne. Who's tuning in?
Max Lucado hosts Night of the Nativity from Museum of the Bible TONIGHT at 8, 9, 10, and 11PM ET! Our Christmas special features performances from Koryn Hawthorne and John Rich Music! Tune in!
It used to take more than three years to make a Gutenberg Bible! But what took so long?
To make these copies, they had to take small pieces of metal in the shape of letters called print blocks and put them together to spell the words on the page. Then, they put ink on those letters and pressed them against paper. The ink would stick to the page to print the words. Setting up each page, however, was not quick work. Imagine a small child spelling out words with block letters. And Gutenberg Bibles have over 3 million letters!
Don’t miss our last two Family Nights! This Saturday, December 19, join us for live music by Kayla Waters, a spectacular light display, live performances of Follow the Star—a one-of-a-kind retelling of the Christmas story— the Christmas in Malta exhibition, a Christmas Market featuring unique gifts from around the world, ornament and gingerbread decorating, and more!
Can’t join us on Saturday? Our last Family Night is on December 26. Purchase tickets for Family Nights today: https://fal.cn/3ciL3.
You've heard "Oh Holy Night," right? #ArtifactoftheDay
This document was written and signed by Adolphe Charles Adam (1803–1856) as “Ad. Adam.” Adam was a French composer who, in 1844, wrote the music for a French poem called “Minuit, chrétiens” written by Placide Cappeau. This carol would be set to different English lyrics in 1847 and titled “O Holy Night.” The lyrics to this classic Christmas carol pull from the breadth of the Bible, drawing from the books of Luke, Matthew, Romans, and Genesis.
See more Christmas-related artifacts on our Collections page: https://fal.cn/3ci0o.
Due to inclement weather, we will be opening at 11am today, December 17. Stay safe!
Toni Morrison, an author and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize Winner, made a habit of using biblical names in her works.
In her novels, characters are given subtle variations on biblical names such as Magdalene and First Corinthians. But the relationship of Morrison's work to the Bible is deeper than the way she names her characters. In discussing the importance of the Bible for her work, she once said, "The Bible wasn't part of my reading. It was part of my life."
This printed passional is considered the first printed book in Palencia, Spain, and is one of the few surviving copies in the world.
Printed in 1536 by Diego de Cordoba, this liturgical book was commissioned by Bishops Francisco de Mendoza and Luis Cabeza de Vaca, both bishops of Palencia. This passional includes a variety of chants for Holy Week, including the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the Passion, and the Gospel tones for Christmas and Epiphany.
Learn more: https://fal.cn/3cgft.
Due to inclement weather, Museum of the Bible will be closed today, December 16. Stay safe and warm!
This #ArtifactoftheDay is a two-volume edition of the Vulgate and contains over 200 illustrations by the renowned French artist Gustave Doré.
Doré is perhaps best remembered for his Bible engravings. The Annunciation and the adoration by the shepherds after Jesus’s birth are among the many scenes depicted in this Bible, demonstrating Doré’s attention to detail and use of shading to convey emotion.
Learn more about this Bible on our Collections page: https://fal.cn/3cfrR.
It's time for Storytime! Samuel of Nazareth is here to tell us the story of Jonah.
For more, check out https://bit.ly/2WfBZbF.
#DidYouKnow Leon Bridges’s song “River” from his album “Coming Home” uses words similar to those found in Isaiah 6:5 and Isaiah 59:3? It's true!
Name another song with a biblical reference 👇
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Visiting the museum today? Don't miss "A Thrill of Hope" showing in the World Stage Theater at noon and 1:00 p.m. "Joy to the World" is one of the many Christmas carols you'll hear. Learn more about these performances: https://fal.cn/3cp4e.
Today's Storytime episode is about the birth of Jesus! Tune in now to hear the story of Christmas. To watch more Storytime episodes, visit https://bit.ly/3rmQaKj.
If you were designing a prayer book for a teenage boy, what would you include? The prayer book of Charles V was custom-made to prepare the young man to rule—and rule well. So what do we find in its pages? We find image after image of suffering and humility. Watch to learn more.
And the winner is... This Nativity by Adrian Gatt and Raymond Zammit, with figures by Jesmond Micallef! 👏👏 This Nativity crib is set in a Maltese house that was partly demolished during the Second World War. The crib will become part of our permanent collection. To learn more about this crib and the others on display in our exhibit, "Christmas in Malta," visit https://fal.cn/3ckAH. Thank you to all who voted!
It's time for Storytime! Samuel of Nazareth is here to tell us the story of Jonah. For more, check out https://bit.ly/2WfBZbF.
In 1655, a very special package arrived in New Amsterdam, the Dutch settlement that would later become New York City. Its arrival was a global occurrence. What was inside? Watch to find out.
Tune in now for Storytime! This week's episode is about Miriam. To learn more about Storytime, watch new episodes, or download coloring and activity pages, visit https://bit.ly/36TmcFH.
Life in the first century was hard. The common people of Jesus’s day had to work long hours just to provide shelter and feed their families. But what did they do in their spare time? How did they enjoy themselves? Watch to learn more about life in the first century.
It's Tuesday! You know what that means. Today's Storytime episode is about the birth of John the Baptizer. Watch more episodes or download coloring pages at https://bit.ly/3o5Dllo.
#DidYouKnow bread formed the majority of the diet of an ordinary first-century Galilean? 🍞🥐🥖 Due to the importance of bread, it became a symbol of life and sustenance. In the Gospel of John, Jesus claims to be the bread of life. During the Last Supper, as part of the Passover meal, Jesus takes the bread and blesses it. Watch to learn more.
Francisco, our conservator, has been hard at work restoring books and manuscripts in the Sofer Collection! Here’s what he’s been up to ensuring the collection at Oklahoma Christian University is in good shape. Learn more about the collection at https://fal.cn/3bPfn.
Today Samuel and Shoshana going to tell you a story about wandering in the wilderness! Tune in now for Storytime. Watch more episodes or download the coloring pages at https://museumofthebible.org/basic/storytime.
Today's origin story is about Samuel! Join us now for Storytime. To watch more Storytime episodes and to download the coloring pages, visit https://bit.ly/38LXPv4.
Join us now for our live, virtual gala with Nick Hall, Chris Tomlin, Heather Headley, Anne Graham Lotz, and more! To donate to Museum of the Bible, visit motb.me/iswl98.
Tonight’s the night! Join Nick Hall, Chris Tomlin, Heather Headley, and more for our live, virtual gala, “Light of the World," at 7pm ET. You can watch it through our Facebook Live stream or at motb.me/oiy6a5.
What’s so special about the Sofer Collection and our collaboration with Oklahoma Christian University? By housing this collection at OC’s Beam Library, the materials in the collection are available to a much wider audience than they would be if we stored them in our collections space at the museum. Learn more about this unique relationship at https://fal.cn/3byld.
We’re just three days away from our live, interactive virtual gala! With an all-star lineup of guest appearances from figures like Nick Hall, Chris Tomlin, Heather Headley, Pastor Rick Warren, Franklin Graham, Rabbi David Baron and more, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Good news ✨ Now you don't have to register to watch. You can watch the Gala live on our page at 7pm ET on Sunday, November 15.
It's time for Storytime! Tune in now for Noah's Ark. To download coloring pages and watch more Storytime episodes, visit https://bit.ly/3pgpsCg.
Crosses worn by rock musicians, sports stars, and Hollywood celebrities have become common place. Sometimes they're worn as a religious statement, sometimes as a fashion statement. So how did it become such an ever present icon? Watch to learn more!
What is the Sofer Collection? Brenna, our Library Coordinator, and Tamie Willis of Oklahoma Christian University, are here to tell us. In 2015, we acquired this collection of over 4,700 library materials on Jewish history, faith, culture, and traditions. It now resides at Oklahoma Christian University’s Beam Library for scholarship and research. https://fal.cn/3bqXE
Luke wrote about the life of Jesus in the New Testament. What else do you know about him?
Hey kids! Do you know the story of Miriam in the Bible? Tune in now for Storytime! Watch more episodes and download activity pages here: https://bit.ly/3mT6cZl.
Who's ready to go fishing? 🐠🎣🌊 Tune in now for the story of a miraculous catch! For more Storytime episodes and downloadable coloring pages, visit https://bit.ly/37JCYb5.
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was a political, cultural, and religious turning point that changed the course of history and Christian theology. Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others sparked movements across Europe challenging some Catholic clergymen’s claim that the church was the sole interpreter of the Bible.
Hey kids! Do you know the story of the good Samaritan? Tune in now for Storytime. PS - Don't forget to download the coloring page: https://bit.ly/2FLsr3N.
Do you know someone with a biblical name? Names from the Bible have always been popular baby names! In 2019, Caleb, Benjamin, Ethan, Alexander, Levi, Elijah, Gabriel, Noah, James, Isaac, and Andrew were among the Top 50 most popular names for boys. For girls, Abigail, Naomi, Chloe, Elizabeth, and Lydia made the list.
Samuel and Shoshana are here to tell us a story of one of Jesus's miracles in the New Testament! Join us now for this Storytime episode, "Jesus and the Storm." Watch more Storytime episodes and download the coloring page at https://bit.ly/2GLhEXT.
The Codex (or book) Alexandrinus is considered one of the oldest, most complete manuscripts of the Christian Bible. Dating from the 5th century, this manuscript of the Greek Bible is considered one of Christianity’s greatest treasures. But #didyouknow it was nearly lost forever? Watch to learn the full story.
In one of the bleakest hours of the war, on January 20, 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the nation in a radio broadcast, painting a picture of hope using words from John 14: “The day will come when … victorious nations ... will plan and build in justice, in tradition, and in freedom a house of many mansions where there will be room for all.”
Do you know the story of the Tower of Babel? Join us now for Storytime! Download the activity page and watch more Storytime episodes at https://bit.ly/3liGCwb.
Museum of the Bible invites all people to engage with the transformative power of the Bible.
Museum of the Bible, located in Washington, D.C., aims to be among the most technologically advanced and engaging museums in the world. Showcasing rare artifacts spanning 3,500 years of history, the museum offers visitors an immersive and personalized experience with the Bible, and its ongoing impact on the world around us.
Wax Museum Night Club Washington DC
Fourth and E Streets SWSmithsonian Institution Archives
Capital Gallery, 600 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 3000Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives, Smithsonian
600 Maryland Ave SWSmithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
600 Maryland Ave SWIndian American Heritage Project
Capital Gallery, Suite 7065Mitsitam Cafe at the National Museum of the A
4th St & Independence Ave SWNational Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian In
Independence Ave at 6th St, SWLillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum
701 3rd St NWSmithsonian's National Museum of Natural Hist
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NWNational Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW