The Museum of the Bible, due to open in Washington, DC, in 2017, has signed an agreement with the Israel Antiquities Authority to display its national treasures. The starting seven-year agreement has two potential extensions built in for a total of 21 years, and allows the Washington museum to borrow from the state-owned collection of more than 2m objects.
The loans could also include artefacts that have yet to be uncovered, since there are 39 active archaeological digs in Israel. The museum is also due to sponsor a dig at Tel-Shimron in northern Israel.
The artefacts will be displayed in a purpose-built 4,000 sq ft. gallery on the top floor of a historic warehouse that was bought for $50m to house the Museum of the Bible. Around 20,000 sq. ft have been set aside in the landmark Renaissance Revival building to host “visiting museums and libraries and partners like the Israel Antiquates Authority,” according to a release.
The chair of the museum’s board is Steve Green, an evangelical Christian and the president of Hobby Lobby, a US chain of craft stores. Green is a key financial backer of the institution, which is estimated to cost around $800m, according to the New York Times.
