“First we tested the concept, travelling the United States with mobile exhibits then we hired a company to identify the best city, which is how we ended up in Washington DC. The process of building the museum took several years. One group told us that we are honest brokers of the Bible.” And I think because of that we gain the trust of the various faith traditions. We are not trying to push one version over another, or Protestantism over Catholicism, for example. “We are simply trying to encourage people to investigate the book. On encouraging meaningful investigation Gutenberg Gates at the Museum of the Bible It has drawn some media criticism for a perceived unwillingness to engage with contradictory narratives, or to exhibit critical thinking. Summers says: “We are not trying to split hairs on some of these very controversial topics there are other people that do that very well, and more power to them.” It also has a rooftop garden, a ballroom and a 472-seat theatre with wraparound projection walls. The museum has three main exhibit floors, lecture and meeting spaces, as well as restaurants. The Green family, owners of Oklahoma City-based craft retailer Hobby Lobby and Christian education and supply company Mardel, has amassed one of the world’s largest private collections of rare biblical texts and artefacts. They have a rich and wonderful history of supporting projects that involve the Bible, so that is how this came about.” One of the families that was inspired with that concept was the Green family out of Oklahoma City. There have been discussions over a period of time about building a Bible museum of a scope that would attract a lot of attention. However, there has never been one of such a large scope and a global nature. That is what has led me for the last 20 years to be heavily involved in the Bible world, and with antiquities and artefacts.” Bringing the Museum of Bible to lifeĭescribing the Museum of the Bible’s inception, he explains: “There are hundreds of Bible museums around the world. And that would attract people who had never set foot in a church. He told Blooloop: “It allowed me to focus on the concept of building ‘attractions’, or special travelling exhibits. On retiring 21 years ago, he formed the Nemeniah Group. For him, this is something of a passion project. He then moved first into retail, where he was president of Abercrombie and Fitch, and then the theme park world. Summers studied math, physics, aerospace and analytical engineering at the University of Texas. President and CEO Cary Summers, former CEO of the Herschend Family Entertainment group, spoke with Blooloop about the ambitious enterprise, while Kurt Martin, Museum of the Bible Director of Software Development, outlined the technology. With one of the largest collections of biblical artefacts and texts in the world, the huge 430,000 sq ft institution is impressing on a global scale. While the museum’s opening was shadowed by some controversy around artefact provenance, visitor numbers are exceeding projected figures. Incorporating sophisticated AR and a unique indoor navigation and geofencing technique, the Museum of the Bible allows visitors to devise a personalised experience, utilising cutting-edge tech to educate rather than evangelise.
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