The Biblical History Center, a mere 10-minute drive from downtown LaGrange, Georgia, stands out as a unique destination. The Center is ranked fourth among the top ten religious museums in the country by USA Today. The Center’s distinct focus on the daily life of men and women in ancient Israel sets it apart. Its mission is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ancient world and the Bible’s Old and New Testament within a rich cultural and historical context.
LaGrange’s Biblical History Center is a rare gem, one of only eight museums worldwide that are a long-term home to artifacts on loan from the Israeli Antiquity Authority. It is the sole museum in the Southeastern United States with on-loan exhibits. It offers visitors a unique opportunity to view historically significant treasures, such as a section of a Dead Sea Scroll.
Before stepping inside the museum, I was immersed in ancient life. The Time Tunnel outside the Center is filled with replicas of places of worship excavated over the years. For an additional fee, you can arrange a private tour. I followed signs without hesitation that guided me through history. I explored and learned about pagan, Jewish, and Christian worship rituals used in the Middle East 2,000 years ago.
Each worship center has columns in front of it, showing the typical architectural style of the period for that exhibit. For instance, the Canaanite Temple of 2,000 BC has a libation basin to satisfy the gods below, and to appeal to the gods above, there is an altar used to burn offerings.
The Israelite Shrine held artifacts common in the large Temple in Jerusalem, made from mud plaster. There were also altars for burning incense.
The Jewish Synagogue is representative of first-century structures. It has rows of steps that I walked down and sat on while soaking in the surroundings. I gazed at a cabinet with scrolls and seven stairsteps descending into a ritual bath basin. In front of the Synagogue, I found my favorite style of graceful Greek Ionic columns.
Finally, I viewed the Byzantine Church, a replica of a Christian chapel next to Roman-style Corinthian columns. This church has a nave with a raised sanctuary containing a stone altar, a mosaic, a fresco, and a baptismal font in the shape of a cross.
The Center’s Biblical Life Artifacts Gallery has fascinating ancient Middle Eastern displays of daily life and pieces of history on loan from international museums. Currently, the Center displays pieces from Jerusalem’s Israel Museum. I found chills on my arm and tears in my eyes while viewing artifacts that Jesus himself may have held.
The exhibition concurrently explores early Christian and Jewish life, displaying some of the most significant Biblical artifacts ever found, dating to the Paleolithic Period, including Stone Age tools and Iron Age pottery. On exhibit is a Dead Sea Scroll segment, the burial ossuary (container) of Caiaphas the High Priest, and a placard inscribed Pontius Pilate. The New Testament tells us that Caiaphas handed Jesus over to the Romans. These artifacts represent the only surviving physical testimonies of these two prominent figures.
The Biblical History Museum is not just a place for passive learning, but also a hands-on experience. It offers authentic-feeling archaeological digs for children, providing them with a fun way to learn about the past and an archaeologist’s life. The museum’s four pits, three of which are actual excavations from the time of the Exodus to the 2nd century AD, are filled with genuine artifacts and replicas buried in the sand. The fourth pit, designed for the youngest children, is filled with fossils and dinosaur remains. The Center requires a minimum of eight children for this experience, making it a perfect family activity.
The ‘Shepherd’s Bread Experience’ at the Biblical History Center is a unique and immersive activity. It allows children to bake bread as nomadic people have done for centuries. Participants enter a shepherd’s goat hair tent and learn about life in the desert. While being served tea, visitors learn to say “Thank you” and “You’re welcome” in Hebrew. Each person flattens and shapes dough to be cooked over a wood fire, using a special oven like shepherds. While the bread cooks, everyone takes a turn at shaking cream into butter. There is a minimum requirement of 10 people for this event, and adults are also welcome to join in this experience.
The 23 large-scale outdoor replicas in the Archaeological Replica Garden are not just exhibits but a journey back in time. The structures erected here are similar to those found in Israel, Jordan, and Malta excavations, providing an immersive experience that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into the Biblical-era world.
The displays encourage visitors to experience first-hand the life of nomadic shepherds. As I sat on a three-legged stool with a stretched leather seat inside a goat-hair tent—I could imagine being surrounded by shepherds who lived this way for thousands of years. They still live a very similar life, tending their flocks.
Further, along the dirt pathway, I entered tombs constructed much like the burial chambers of Abraham and Jesus. In the Old Testament replica tomb, I saw burial practices used in actual Jerusalem tombs, including funereal artifacts. The New Testament tomb exhibits three Herodian-period bone boxes and a tomb door that has been rolled open. I was covered in chills again as I thought of the despair Mary Magdalene would have felt when confronted with a gaping, empty tomb. For a Christian, this display has an inexpressible impact. For a non-Christian, walking through the history of people more than 2,000 years ago is still an incredible experience.
From the tombs, I walked through the life of the Farmer area, where a well, millstones, and farming implements are on display. My grandparents and uncles farmed, so these tools reminded me of long-forgotten childhood memories. The toils of farm life are arduous, even with today’s modern implements. There is a deep stone storage area for grain, similar to a silo, but with central stone steps that wind downward like a lighthouse stairway. Arched niches along the outer wall hold small oil lamps that would have given light enough to see to gather grain, perhaps for the evening’s bread.
A large city gate led me into a recreated village. I could wander through houses with rustic tables holding oil lamps and pottery and outside onto sleeping porches. When I entered storage rooms filled with large clay vessels and storage jars, I easily imagined that these would have held olive oil or wine and salted meat. The village even had an area that would have been a farmer’s market. I had to pinch myself to remember I was still in LaGrange, Georgia.
Since my home is on a beach, and I do love seafood, I found the display about the ancient fishing industry fascinating. Anchors, weights to hold nets in place, and methods of preserving the catch helped me understand fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
As a daily beachcomber and shell collector, another display surrounding Murex shells caught my attention. The Murex (a sea snail) shell created an essential industry in the Mediterranean, producing a dye called Tyrian purple. In what is now Lebanon, the Phoenicians of the city of Tyre used the dye for fabric over 3,000 years ago. The reddish-purple fabrics were sold throughout the area, reaching as far as Carthage in Tunisia. The color was also known as royal purple, and eventually, Romans restricted its possession to the royal family. I’d have been in trouble—purple is my favorite color!
There is also an exhibit on ship disasters, where you can view remains like amphorae (wine jars) and other storage vessels from underwater archaeological sites. I was disappointed that photography was not allowed in some displays. Still, those images remain in my mind.
Interactive experiences permit museum visitors to “live” in the moment and truly bring the Middle East’s ancient history to life. Not only did I walk among accurately created replicas and museum displays of authentic antiquities, but I could also participate in lectures and personal experiences like Passover-style meal presentations.
I was disappointed that I didn’t know about the special three-hour event, divided evenly between a tour followed by a four-course meal. I would have reserved a spot for the Last Supper meal, which consists of 15 foods that replicate those served at the last meal Jesus and his disciples shared. The dinner is served in a 1st-century-style dining room, including soup, salad, fruit, main course, dessert, and water or grape juice. The guide explains ancient mealtime practices, discussing the Passover feast and the Last Supper.
Before you go, check the museum’s website for dates of seasonal and special events. Spring allows you to participate in the Empty Tomb Tour. Winter tours focus on the Starry Night, a special one-night Christmas illuminated tour and meal. I can’t think of a better Christmas tradition.
The Center requires reservations and confirmations for most dinners and special events. Again, I caution you to refer to the museum’s website for all the critical information and additional pricing. Some events have a required group size, like the Kid’s Digs, which requires a minimum of eight children, and the bread-making experience requires ten participants.
To hear more about the LaGrange area, listen in to this podcast on Jo Goes Everywhere!
Admission and Hours of Operation
General Admission:
Adults: $30.88
Children 6-12: $25.88
Children 5 and under are free
(Does not include the 7% Troup County Sales Tax or any special experiences)
The Biblical History Center is closed Sundays and Mondays
Tu/Wed/Fri/Sat: 10 am – 5 pm
Thursdays: 10:30 am – 5 pm
Closed: Tuesday after President’s Day & MLK Day; Tuesday after Memorial Day; 4th of July; Tuesday after Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; December 24 – January 13
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Jo Clark is a travel writer, photographer, and podcaster. She calls the Grand Strand of South Carolina home, but enjoys visiting little-known corners of the globe in search of unique spots to share with her readers. It might be a café, winery, safari lodge, museum, or quaint bed and breakfast inn.
You can find links to all her articles on Have Glass, Will Travel, follow her on Instagram, and click this link to listen in to the monthly Jo Goes Everywhere! podcasts.