Thursday, November 16, 2017

The Biggest Book Finally Gets A Museum!



The Bible is arguably the most widely read book in human history but it wasn’t until November. 17, 2017 that it got its own museum.  Many other books and authors have museums, but none may be as big as The Bible Museum, a 430,000 square-foot museum that is the largest museum building space in all of Washington D.C., and is the most expensive museum dedicated to a single book ($500 million in property, demolition, and construction costs).  

Why did it take so long to have a museum dedicated to the single book that has inspired billions, led to Holy wars, and been the subject of endless debates about religion and God?  It has sparked the story lines of many, many books and movies and has given comfort to Americans since the nation’s founding.

I have not been to the museum but I have heard of its coming for years.  My guess is it will remain well funded for decades to come.  In its Publishers Weekly advertisement, the museum says one would need nine full eight-hour days to take in the entire experience.

It offers more than 500 Biblical texts and artifacts on just one of the floors.  It even has a 1,000-seat lecture hall and a 472-seat preforming arts theater.

Whether you are a religious person, especially a Christian or Jew, scholars, historians, writers, sociologists, and others are sure to find this a fascinating place to visit.

I am happy that a book is getting such attention.  The world offers a lot of museums and theaters of entertainment, but few revolve around books.  We need more museums dedicated to books.

Museums will often display books or feature a temporary display that highlights the works of a major author, but to have a gigantic museum dedicated to featuring a permanent collection of one book is unheard of.

So what will the museum feature?  “It will provide guests with an immersive and personalized experience as they explore the history, narrative and impact of the Bible," ways its website. “Museum of the Bible will be an unparalleled experience, using cutting edge technology to bring the Bible to life.”

It has 1150 items on display from its permanent collection, and another 2000 cure on loan from other institutions and collections.  “These collections allow the Museum of the Bible to convey the global impact and compelling history of the Bible in a unique and powerful way,” the site said.

One might say the Bible has a museum already – thousands of living museums and memorials in the form of churches.  It’s in many homes and cars and its influence extends into culture, law, and ethics.  The Museum of the Bible is new – but the Bible has always had a huge following. No doubt, its museum will be around for a long time, preserving the legacy of the book that has had the greatest influence and impact on Western society than any other book.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

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