The Fake Dead Sea Scrolls at the Museum of The Bible

Opened in 2017, the Museum of the Bible is a sprawling institution in Washington, D.C. that seeks to provide “an immersive and personalized experience with the Bible, and its ongoing impact on the world around us.” Funded by Steve Green, the president of Hobby Lobby, the museum boasts among its prized possessions 16 fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which Green began collecting as far back as 2009.

Doubts as to the scrolls’ authenticity began swirling just as soon as they were put on display, and indeed, five were confirmed to be fake within short order. The museum still held onto claims that the rest of its collection was authentic, but recently, a study commissioned by the museum itself reached the conclusion that “none of the textual fragments in the Museum of the Bible’s Dead Sea Scroll collection are authentic.” The conclusion was reported by Michael Greshko for National Geographic, and it didn’t take long for news outlets and social media to pick up the story and run with it.

While the results are a huge blow for the Museum of the Bible, it casts no doubts upon the authenticity of the Dead Sea Scrolls held by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Those scrolls, discovered in 1947 in a cave at Qumran, near the shores of the Dead Sea, remain among the most precious relics of the ancient world we have in our possession.

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Karel Soucek: Daring by Daredevils’ Standards

Flip through the history books and you’ll find no shortage of daring feats performed by history’s greatest daredevils. One such feat was performed in 1984 by Czechoslovakian-born stuntman Karel Soucek. More than a daredevil, Soucek was an inventor, and he created a custom built shock-absorbent barrel that was 9 feet long and 5 feet in diameter, which he used to go over Niagara Falls. The stunt was a success, of sorts, but while Soucek didn’t die he did sustain several injuries.

Still, considering the feat accomplished, Soucek decided to build a museum at the base of the falls dedicated to the feat and to his equipment. In order to finance the museum, Soucek decided to go from another drop in the barrel, this time into a tank of water, 180 feet from the top of the Houston Astrodome. Famed daredevil Evel Knievel called the stunt “the most dangerous I’ve ever seen,” trying his best to talk Soucek out of it, but Soucek would not be dissuaded. The stunt took place as part of a Thrill Show and Destruction Derby on January 20, 1985.

Things did not go well, unfortunately. When the barrel was released it immediately started to spin and missed its target, hitting the rim of the water tank instead of landing in the center. The 37-year-old Soucek suffered severe injuries to his head, chest and abdomen and died at a nearby hospital while the show was still going on.

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