We were so blessed this week to win tickets to the amazing exhibit Passages.
This traveling exhibit showcases over 300 Biblical artifacts. There are ancient fragments of Scripture from the Dead Sea Scrolls, papyri, early translations in many languages, rare and beautifully illuminated manuscripts, early copies of the Pilgrim’s Geneva Bible and John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Wycliffe’s New Testament, a Coverdale Bible (the first legal printing in English) and so many more.
This fascinating exhibit is very interactive, and it held my children’s attention. As you move through the exhibit, you get the feeling of moving through time, as each room is decorated to reflect the time period of the manuscripts it contains.
There were many animatronic figures which moved and spoke, including St. Jerome, Queen Anne Boleyn, John Knox, and William Tynedale. There were also several activities for children, such as writing with quill and ink, using a block print to make a Bible page, and (my kids’ favorite) turning a replica of Gutenberg’s printing press to produce a page from the book of 2 Samuel in Latin.
An audio tour on iPod is included with the children’s tickets (it costs an additional $3.00 for the adult audio). My children really enjoyed wearing the iPods and listening to the audio tour. The children’s audio program includes a scavenger hunt which kept them moving forward, listening and looking for answers to questions regarding the exhibits. There were also many videos throughout the exhibit, creatively done to introduce each room’s theme. In one room, video technology was used to portray Martin Luther debating with Erasmus and Johann Eck. Videos and animatronics were very lifelike and realistic.
Watch this brief video for a visual introduction to Passages:
Each of us took away favorite memories from the exhibit. It was rewarding for me to see my oldest son translate a portion of Scripture from an ornate copy of the Latin Vulgate. My favorite parts of the exhibit focused on the Reformation and the translation of the Bible into the language of the common man.
I wish this wasn’t a traveling exhibit, as I would love to take my kids there again and again. The owner of this exhibit (Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby) has built his collection to include over 40,000 exhibits, which will become a permanent exhibit at an as-yet undisclosed location.
If you live near Atlanta, you have one more week to see this amazing exhibit. It will be in Atlanta through June 30th. A staff member told me that the next location for Passages will be Charlotte, NC, so watch for it if you live in that area. The website has not yet been updated with the Charlotte information, but more information should be posted there soon. The exhibit will likely be in Charlotte for a few months, so the next location after that has not yet been announced.
This field trip was encouraging, inspiring, and educational. Thanks to Carrie at Our Full House for this awesome give away!
