The following comes from a Southern Cross article by Denis Grasska:

LOS ANGELES — Southern Californians have been given a rare glimpse into biblical times and an insider’s view of present-day Jerusalem.

“Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition,” featuring fragments of more than 10 Dead Sea Scrolls accompanied by more than 600 ancient artifacts, including a 3-ton stone from Jerusalem’s Western Wall, is currently on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of ancient manuscripts discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves on the shores of the Dead Sea. Dating from 250 B.C. to 68 A.D., the scrolls include the oldest discovered copies of the books of the Old Testament, as well as other liturgical and spiritual writings.

During a news conference on March 5, California Science Center President Jeffrey N. Rudolph described the exhibit as “the largest of its kind ever mounted outside of Israel.”

“It explores the science and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were hidden in caves over 2,000 years ago,” said Rudolph. “Over half of the scrolls on display have never before been seen in the U.S., and some have never been exhibited since their discovery.”

Dr. Uzi Dahari, deputy director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said the exhibition represents the “most extensive ever undertaken.”

“We are convinced that the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in the Judean desert are the most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century,” he said. “The scrolls, written in Hebrew, are the oldest copy of the Bible.”

For more information, visit www.californiasciencecenter.org.