April 3, 2025

The Galilee Youth Group took advantage of a day off school this Monday to embark on an enriching journey to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Seventeen Galileans spent the day immersed in the history and cultural significance of the scriptures that serve as the foundation of two faiths, Judaism and Christianity.

The visit provided the students with a deeper understanding of historical and archaeological aspects of the Bible. One of the most anticipated highlights of the day was the Megiddo Mosaic exhibit, which offers a tantalizing glimpse of the early Christian church in the Holy Land. The mosaic is actually a tile floor dating back to the third century, from an ancient Christian house of worship that was unearthed in 2005.

A Greek inscription on the floor reads, “The God-loving Akeptous has offered [the table] to God Jesus Christ as a memorial,” which means this mosaic represents one of the earliest existing references to Jesus Christ as God. Only the scriptures themselves are older.

The Megiddo Mosaic is the floor of a 3rd century house of worship that was excavated in Megiddo, Israel in 2005

Beyond the Megiddo exhibit, the group explored the museum’s extensive collection of ancient manuscripts, archaeological artifacts, and interactive displays that bring the scriptures to life. The students had the opportunity to see papyrus fragments of Christian gospels, ancient Torah scrolls, and early printed Bibles. They gained an appreciation of the antiquity of these texts and the painstaking, faithful efforts that have preserved these beliefs and these materials through the centuries.

Our students were also taken by the living witness of modern, interactive presentations within the museum. One exhibit recreated the grand sweep of Old Testament history, allowing visitors to vividly imagine seeing the real Burning Bush, the Flood, the Parting of the Red Sea, and more. A second exhibit presented biblical Nazareth. Our Galileans even had their picture taken in front of a mural of the Sea of Galilee. 

Galilee at the “Sea of Galilee”

Our Youth leader Lisa Collins said, “It was great to explore these exhibits. We learned so much. And it was especially nice to have Pastor Steven Carr with us, as he’d recently been to the museum and so made sure we saw all the important artifacts and displays.”

“What I most liked was hearing questions from the kids,” explains Pastor Steven. “One young man was interested in Bible translations and was particularly taken with in an Ethiopian bible on display. He and I spoke about how it was one of the earliest translations of the Bible from the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) and how it included books that are not printed in our Protestant bibles. We actually got so into it that we lost the rest of the group and someone had to backtrack to find us.”

The Galilee Youth Group looks forward to future field trips that inspire faith, learning, and fellowship. We are also exploring sending an adult trip to the Museum of the Bible. If you’re interested in that, let Pastor Steven know. It’s a great day out.