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ST. PAUL, Minn., March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Science Museum of Minnesota has opened the long-awaited landmark exhibition of The Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World today -- Friday, March 12, 2010. This exhibition offers visitors an exclusive chance to explore the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century -- one that has great historic and personal meaning to people all over the world. It will run through October 24, 2010.

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The scrolls, which are approximately 2,000 years old, include fragments of the earliest known texts of the Bible. After their initial discovery along the western shores of the Dead Sea near the ancient settlement of Qumran, archaeologists have excavated and pieced together tens of thousands of scroll fragments into more than 900 separate documents -- from biblical manuscripts and commentary to religious legal writings. These ancient Hebrew writing fragments are now archived and conserved by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and, on rare occasion, are put on public display at world-class museums. In addition to being one of only a few museums in the United States to host the scrolls and related artifacts from the IAA, the Science Museum is the first museum to display three sets of five scrolls each during the run of the exhibition, for a grand total of 15.

Visitors to The Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World will explore galleries devoted to setting the Dead Sea Scrolls story into context. In addition to the extraordinary, priceless scrolls, visitors will see more than 200 ancient artifacts that will give them a glimpse into everyday life in Israel during the famous Second Temple Period.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World exhibition continues through October 24, 2010. Tickets are $28 for adults and $22 for kids and seniors.  (Ticket price includes museum admission, The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, and a Dead Sea Scrolls audio tour, which features adult and family versions.) For more information visit www.smm.org.

SOURCE Science Museum of Minnesota

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