Participants Praise HillFaith-Organized VIP Tour for Congressional Staffers of the Museum of the Bible
(504 WORDS) — Washington, D.C. is full of great museums and one of the most fascinating and accessible is the Museum of the Bible (MOTB) located, interestingly enough, close to the U.S. Department of Education in the Southwest area of the national capital.
Also within a few blocks of the MOTB is the U.S. Capitol complex, and the daily working offices for more than 12,000 aides laboring on behalf of senators, representatives and congressional committees.
This close proximity of the MOTB to Senate and House office buildings is one of the least recognized, but potentially most significance perks of working on the Hill because the museum is jammed pack with amazing documents, artifacts and objects that are thousands of years old.
The museum is also home to a treasure chest full of video, graphic and written exhibits that bring the Bible — the most widely read and influential book ever written — to life in an endlessly challenging and instructive manner.
The HillFaith tour included the ‘Jesus Boat’ at the Museum of the Bible, an actual fishing boat discovered in 1986 in the Sea of Gallilee.
On a recent Friday, 13 present and former congressional aides organized by HillFaith were treated to a VIP tour of the MOTB. Some of them had previously been in the museum but the HillFaith tour was the first for a number of the aides.
Cassandra Johnson, a former Hill communications director, said of the tour that “it was excellent, Despite the times I’ve been before, I still learned so much. It was wonderful to see the Dead Sea Scrolls before they head back.” Cassandra encouraged all Hill aides to check out the MOTB and said “on your visit, you must check out Washington Revelations to see highlights of Scripture around the city.”
HillFaith museum tourers saw multiple exhibits featuring ancient coins, pottery, art and scrolls, all from the Holy Land.
Similar thoughts were expressed by Alexandra McPhee, who is a veteran of key positions on both the Senate and House sides of the Hill:
“At the Museum of the Bible, I saw God glorified by the historical and archaeological evidence of his existence and divinity. It was affirmation of lessons I learned during HillFaith. It gave me more confidence in the truth of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
“As someone who visited Israel, I know the Museum of the Bible provided the most information and realistic experience someone could have outside Israel. I also know that many staffers will not get that chance, even though some do, because work trips are often exclusive to committee staff or senior staff in personal offices; and the cost is prohibitive for many.
“But this tour was an opportunity to have a powerful, educational experience anyways. I am grateful for the chance to have had this tour with fellow believers who work on the Hill.”
The tour also included much about the Dead Sea Scrolls, including video and written exhibits describing the scrolls tremendous significance, including in confirming the accuracy of present-day translations.
The tour was ably led by museum volunteer Carol Mayer who provided a ton of illustrative commentary as the group progressed through multiple floors of the facility and engagingly answered multiple questions from the tourers.
HillFaith will be organizing additional free VIP tours of the museum in the near future. All congressional aides are encouraged to take advantage of the forthcoming opportunities. Just let us know of your interest and we will let you know as soon as the next tour is scheduled. Email me at mark.tapscott@hillfaith.org.