Bible
Museum blazes a trail
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| The interactive Bible Museum opened by the Bible Society of Brazil in Barueri on December 9, 2003. Photo: BSBrazil / Eduardo César (BRA04DJ-3.JPG) |
The Society hopes that its interactive Bible Museum concept, developed in collaboration with the municipal authorities in the town of Barueri, will act as a source of inspiration for other Bible Societies in the region, thus allowing even more people to encounter the Bible in innovative ways.
No stairs
Around 250 people, among them politicians and religious leaders, attended the ceremony on December 9, 2003, at which the 900 square metre facility, part of a larger Events Centre, was formally opened. The first of its kind in Brazil, the Bible Museum is also pioneering in its use of architecture: the absence of stairs and the provision of ramps ensures that all of its 10 exhibition areas are accessible to disabled people. With extensive use of interactive technology, the museum brings the past firmly into the present in a way which appeals to all types of visitors.
“We have been able to establish a modern, yet historical, museum with a rich and varied collection,” said General Secretary the Rev Luiz Antonio Giraldi at the launch. “We thought of people of all ages and those with special needs.”
This view was echoed by Guilhermino Cunha, the Society’s Honorary President. “All people who love the Bible will find a reference point here,” he explained. “The Bible Museum represents an opportunity to publicise that, here in Brazil, people love each other and they respect culture.”
A tour of the museum begins in the ‘Bible and the History of Writing’ room, where the exhibits include biblical texts in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and reproductions of papyruses and parchments containing sections of the Scriptures in Hebrew. From here, visitors move gradually towards the present day through exhibition areas covering aspects of Bible work including translation, distribution and the production of audio Scriptures. In each area, there are opportunities to interact with the exhibits: visitors can stop at listening stations to hear the Word of God in more than 200 languages and can even sample some typical smells of biblical times.
One room has been devoted to introducing children to the Bible. Here they can read, watch videos, listen to stories told by professional storytellers and participate in creative activities.
To encourage visitors to keep returning to the Bible Museum, the final exhibition area has been set aside for temporary attractions. For the opening, the area was devoted to the 200-year history of the Bible Society movement, and exhibitions since then have included the various translations of Scripture for native Brazilian people.
Dr Timóteo Cavaco, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Portugal, was among those who attended the launch. He was impressed by what he saw. “I am truly dazzled,” he said. “This is a unique initiative, not only here in Brazil, but from what I know of Europe and, I might even venture to say, of the whole world.” (WR 387/26 - 8/9.04)