The Bijbels Museum ("Biblical Museum") is a museum on the

Herengracht The Herengracht () is the second of four Amsterdam canals belonging to the canal belt and lies between the Singel and the Keizersgracht. The Gouden Bocht (Golden Bend) in particular is known for its large and beautiful canal houses. History Th ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

housing a collection of

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

s and other religious objects from the Judeo-Christian tradition, including the oldest Bible printed in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

(the 1477 ''Delftse Bijbel'',), a first edition of the 1637 Dutch Authorised Version, and a facsimile copy of a

Dead Sea scroll The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the nor ...

from

Qumran Qumran ( he, קומראן; ar, خربة قمران ') is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli ...

containing the Book of Isaiah. The museum also houses archaeological discoveries, artifacts from ancient

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

collected by Leendert Schouten in the 19th century: oil lamps, clay tablets, earthenware, shards of pottery and coins. They give an impression of the religious life of the ancient Egyptians. There are also some replicas of the ancient Jewish Temple, including models of

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...

and

Herod's Temple The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...

, as well as a 19th-century model of the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

, a reconstruction of the sacred shrine housing the Ark of the Covenant described in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Moses. One part of the exhibit is called the "story attic for children," using light and sound to retell Biblical stories in three different settings: Egypt, Jerusalem, and the desert. This exhibit was designed by Abbie Steinhauser and Saskia van der Zanden, both graduates of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. In 2009, the museum, with financial support from a Dutch lottery operator, was able to acquire the so-called Van Noordwijk collection, a collection of religious books with

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

coverings. Founded in 1852, the museum celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2002 in the presence of

Queen Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husban ...

. Thanks in part to popular temporary exhibitions and extensive renovations its number of visitors increased by 40% between 2001 and 2002, and it drew a record number of visitors, more than 47,000, in 2006. The museum continues to receive government subsidies for its operating budget, even though, according to the Dutch governmental council which decides on these matters, it has not done enough to attract a more diverse (i.e., non-denominational) audience.

Building

The museum is housed since 1975 in two imposing canalside buildings, part of a four-building complex known as the ''Cromhouthuizen'', on

canal. The buildings harbor a collection of architectural and historical items, including two of the best-preserved antique kitchens in the Netherlands, dating from the 17th century. They were designed by

Philip Vingboons Philips Vingboons (or ''Vinckboons'', ''Vinckeboons'', ''Vinckbooms'') ( – 2 October 1678) was a Dutch architect. He was part of the school of Jacob van Campen, that is, Dutch Classicism. Vingboons was especially highly regarded in his native c ...

in 1622 for the wealthy wood merchant and art collector Jacob Cromhout for whom they are named. They have original details such as the ceiling paintings by

Jacob de Wit Jacob de Wit (19 December 1695 – 12 November 1754) was a Dutch artist and interior decorator who painted many religious scenes. Biography Jacob de Wit was born in Amsterdam, and became famous for his door and ceiling paintings. He lived on ...

, which were restored in 1999-2000.

Gallery

File:On the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, Christ expelling the money changers from the temple (c. 1650) by Jacob Jordaens File:Erection of the cross painting on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, Erection of the cross (1683) by Adriaen Backer File:The ministry of John the Baptist on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, The ministry of John the Baptist (1606) by Gerrit Pietersz File:The Resurrection of Christ on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, The Resurrection of Christ (c. 1607-1669) by Caspar de Crayer File:Moses appointing the seventy elders painting on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, Moses appointing the seventy elders (1735) by

File:Holy Family painting on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, Holy Family (c. 1650) by Jan van Kessel, 'the other' File:River landscape with the Good Samaritan painting on the display in Bijbels Museum Amsterdam.JPG, River landscape with the Good Samaritan (1617) by monogrammist (J.A.)

Jan van Amstel Jan van Amstel, or Jan de Hollander, (c. 1500 – c. 1542) was a Dutch Northern Renaissance painter. Jan van Amstel was born in Amsterdam. In or before 1528, van Amstel moved to Antwerp; in that year he joined the city's Guild of Saint Luke ...

References

External links

Bijbels Museum
{{Authority control Museums in Amsterdam Rijksmonuments in Amsterdam Museums established in 1852 Literary museums in the Netherlands Egyptological collections Bible-themed museums, zoos, and botanical gardens 1852 establishments in the Netherlands