#FlyWashington Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 55

Washington’s newest museum makes a can’t-miss-it first impression with 40-foot-tall, 37-ton bronze panels inscribed with biblical text flanking its entrance. Inside the $500 million building, scenes inspired by the Bible are projected on the entry hall’s soaring, 140-foot-long ceiling. The LED images change every 20 seconds or so. Upstairs, thunder and rain sound effects evoke Noah and the Great Flood. A 3-D image of a burning bush beckons a digital Moses. And a robed and sandaled interpreter invites visitors into a humble 1st century home in Nazareth. At six stories and 430,000 square feet, The Museum of the Bible claims distinction as the world’s largest museum devoted to the Good Book. Located just a stone’s throw south of the National Mall’s high-profile Smithsonian emporiums, the private museum was founded and largely funded by the conservative Christian family that owns the arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby. SPRING 2018 53 FLYWASHINGTON.COM