Fake scrolls help museum rebuild

When a $500 million (NZ$821m) Bible museum opened its doors in Washington DC in 2017, its billionaire founders anticipated it would be an ‘‘innovative, global, educational institution’’.

In fact, the Museum of the Bible quickly became known for a string of embarrassing headlines – the most recent of which was the admission that fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls it has exhibited for years as one of its main attractions are fakes.

Now, the museum is hoping to use these controversies to win over its critics as it attempts to rebuild its image.

The 430,000 sq ft museum showcases ‘‘rare and fascinating artefacts spanning 3500 years of history’’ according to its website. It says it welcomed almost a million visitors in its first year.

But, after a string of controversies, the turning point came when an investigative firm hired by the museum found that its much-vaunted Dead Sea Scroll fragments were forgeries – most likely inked on ancient leather sometime in the 20th century to look like the original Hebrew bible.

To demonstrate the museum’s commitment to transparency, its chief curator, Jeffrey Kloha, has announced plans for an exhibition showcasing how the investigators made the discovery.

The museum says the ‘‘extensive research’’ it funded into the forgeries has produced ‘‘a rigorous’’ protocol which will help to identify other false fragments. Kloha is also leading the charge in purging the museum of any other items of dubious origin.

The museum’s founders committed recently to returning a staggering 11,500 objects of ‘‘insufficient provenance’’ to officials in Egypt and Iraq.

Steve Green, the museum’s chairman, said the museum had received ‘‘a great deal of criticism over the years’’, some of which was ‘‘justified’’. He added: ‘‘If I learn of other items to which another person or entity has a better claim, I will do the right thing.’’ –