Hidden in a private home in Borough Park (1601 41st Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.) is the Living Torah Museum (www.torahmuseum.com), a collection of items and artifacts dating back to biblical times. The museum’s curator, Rabbi Shimon Deutsch, has put together 900 artifacts worth over 14 million dollars. According to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, this is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated solely to biblical archeology.
Included in the collection is the oldest extant copy of the Ten Commandments in the world (not the original!). It is approximately 2,500 years old. Visitors can see everything from a large colorful water jug from the time of King Hezekiah, King of Judea (600 B.C.E), to a 3500-year old toy chariot, to ancient lamps and weights and measures.
The goal of the museum is to bring ancient places, things, and events to life. Deutsch and his wife, who serve as the docents, explain why the items on display were significant in their original time period. They discuss historical events, and how the particular items on display could have played a role. For example, while viewing the water jug mentioned above, you’ll learn that King Hezekiah’s troops were to able to go out to do battle because they had jugs like these to store fresh water.
