At the center of the anniversary displays is the rare presentation of the Great Isaiah Scroll, מגילת ישעיהו, Megillat Yeshayahu, shown fully unrolled for the first time since 1968 inside.

The exhibition, titled “A Voice from the Desert: The Great Isaiah Scroll,” allows visitors to see the ancient manuscript in its entirety, something normally impossible because of strict conservation requirements.

“This is the only complete biblical manuscript ever discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls,” curator Hagit Moaz said during a media tour. “To see it opened to its full length is something that rarely happens.”

Designated 1QIsaᵃ, the parchment manuscript was written around 125 BCE and is considered the crown jewel of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Measuring roughly 24 feet long, the scroll contains all 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah written in ancient Hebrew script across 17 sheets of stitched parchment.

The manuscript’s story began in 1947 when a Bedouin shepherd entered a cave near Qumran and discovered clay jars containing the ancient texts. That accidental find led to one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Today, the scroll is housed at the Israel Museum, where it is usually displayed only in small sections under carefully controlled conditions in the Shrine of the Book..

For the anniversary exhibition, however, the entire manuscript stretches across a specially designed case, revealing column after column of ancient Hebrew writing.

The exhibitions offer visitors a chance to explore everything from ancient manuscripts to newly displayed artifacts from the museum’s vast holdings.

The galleries are closed as museums across Israel suspend public visits due to the ongoing war.

One of the anniversary exhibitions, “The Medium and the Message: Six Centuries of Printmaking,” brings together more than 200 works from the museum’s collection, tracing the development of printmaking from early European engravings to modern artistic experimentation. 

Another unusual installation allows visitors to see behind the scenes of museum preservation. In “Behind the Scenes: A Live Conservation Lab,” conservators restore artifacts in public view, giving visitors a rare glimpse into the painstaking work required to protect historical treasures. 

The anniversary program also includes new displays in the museum’s Israeli Art galleries. An exhibition titled “Israeli Art: The Swing of the Pendulum” explores how artists have reflected the tensions and aspirations of Israeli society over the past century, juxtaposing early Zionist-era works with contemporary pieces that respond to modern social and political realities.

Together, the exhibitions highlight the museum’s unique ability to connect ancient history, biblical heritage, and contemporary creativity.

For now, the galleries are temporarily closed, and the most valuable works are stored away in safe locations. When the doors reopen, the exhibitions will once again allow visitors to explore thousands of years of history, from the parchment columns of the Great Isaiah Scroll to the evolving artistic voices of modern Israel. Meanwhile, BJL has highlights in the photo essay.