DEAD SEA SCROLLS EXHIBIT: ROM, TORONTO, CANADA, 2009-2010

Praise our Lord God that Toronto, Ontario, Canada will have the opportunity to host one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls. We are indeed deeply grateful that the Royal Ontario Museum was able to negotiate the deal with the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The Royal Ontario Museum will host the Dead Sea Scrolls in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from June 27- January 3, 2010.

The six-month exhibit of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls was organized in co-operation with the Israel Antiquities Authority. Top Palestinian officials declared the exhibit a violation of international law and called on Canada to cancel the show. They argued that the scrolls highly regarded as the great archaeological discoveries of the 20th century were acquired illegally by Israel when the State annexed East Jerusalem in 1967. The opposition was very strong, but Canada prevailed.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by Bedouins (5) and archaeologists (6) in 11 caves on the north-west corner of the Dead Sea between 1947-1956. The area is 13 miles east of Jerusalem. The scrolls appear to be the library of a Jewish sect called the Essenes during the Jewish/Roman war (66 CE).

Josephus, the historian and other sources mentioned the Essenes were immensely messianic and apocalyptic. They were led by a priest called the "Teacher of Righteousness. What was discovered were 900 documents in fragments but represented 500 separate works.

Altogether there were 11 caves mentioned and the most prolific Cave 4 contained 520 texts in 15,000 fragments.

The library contains biblical (Isaiah Scroll) and non-canonical books known as (Enoch), commentaries and rules of faith. One copper scroll was found with a list of 64 hiding places for gold, sacred objects and other scrolls.

Most of the scrolls were in the hands of Jordan with a team of mostly Catholics and no Jews. The team only published eight volumes of material in four decades. In the 1980's the team expanded to include Jewish scholars. About 40% of the scrolls were unpublished and unreleased until 1991 when pressure was applied since 1980's.

The scrolls found consist of biblical and non-biblical books. Fragments of every book of the Hebrew law in the Old Testament were found with the exception of the Book of Esther.

19 copies of the Book of Isaiah, 25 copies of Deuteronomy and 30 copies of Psalms were identified.

Other prophecies by Ezekiel, Daniel and Jeremiah not found in the Bible are written in the scrolls.

The Isaiah Scroll found is 1,000 years older than any other copy previously known.

The Royal Ontario Museum was given the royal sum of 30 million dollars by Michael Lee Chin, a Jamaican immigrant to Canada. Plans to renovate the museum started in 2002 and Architect Daniel Libeskind was selected to design the renovation and expansion.

Libeskind, a well known architect has designed buildings around the world, including the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen and the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester.

It is interesting to note that the wife of Libeskind is Nina Libeskind, neé Lewis whose brother Steven Lewis (former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations) and David Lewis (her father and a founder of the New Democratic Party). Nina is his business partner, manager and lieutenant to her husband.

Nina Libeskind is a Jew and it seems fitting that the Dead Sea Scrolls are exihibited in the renovated and expanded museum. What a coincidence! Is it or is it God's plan? Do you believe in divine intervention or in coincidence? It is left to the reader to decide for himself or herself. All glory to our almighty Lord God!

Daniel Libeskind has also been chosen to design the Ground Zero building after the aftermath of the disaster of 9/11, the series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001.

Is Libeskind chosen as the architect another coincidence to plan and structure the new buildings to rise again from the destruction of the previous twin towers? Why was a Jew given such prominence and power? Are there not other great and powerful architects to meet the challenge? Consider the question and reason why the fact is so! Is God in control of the whole matter?

In Psalms 75:6-7, it is written: For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. [7] But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Al Qaeda is the arch enemy of the Jews and Al Qaeda has completely flattened the twin towers and now America has chosen a Jewish architect to rebuild many more towers in honour of the memory of September, 11, 2001.

The Dead Sea Scrolls will exhibit in the Royal Ontario Museum for the next six months from June 27, 2009 until January 3, 2010. It is hoped that believing Jews, Christians and Muslims would flock to the museum. It a rare opportunity for all to see and marvel how the Dead Sea Scrolls survive the onslaught of time. The Scrolls were written during a period of 200 years and hidden for about two millennia and accidentally discovered by Bedouin shepherds. It is also the Lord's will that the Scrolls were found by the Bedouins instead of Jews, so many will not doubt the authencity. Thank God!

There are millions of Christians of many different denominations in the world, but some may not be at all excited over this. Hopefully, God would stir the hearts of the faithful and lead them to marvel at the incredulous preservation of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Lord has presented us with His sacred Hebrew Bible.

The ROM has carefully chosen an array of lectures to attract large audiences of the young and the old. May all glory be to the Lord God.

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