Bijbel Museum

History Since 1975 the Biblical Museum has been housed in two imposing canalside buildings, known as the Cromhout houses, on Amsterdam?s stately Herengracht. These historic buildings in the Dutch Classical style were built in 1662 by the celebrated architect Philips Vingboons for their first resident, the wealthy merchant Jacob Cromhout. A crooked log on the gable stone at the front of the house is a reference to the literal meaning of Cromhout?s surname: ?bent wood?. Collection Archaeological discoveries, artefacts from ancient Egypt, centuries-old models of the temple of Solomon and Herod, religious objects from the Judeo-Christian tradition and even aromas bring Bible stories to life for visitors to the Biblical Museum. It houses a famous 19th-century model of the Tabernacle: a wonderful reconstruction of the sacred shrine housing the Ark of the Covenant, which the Israelites carried with them during their exile in the desert under the leadership of Moses. Displays centred on a model of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem explain the significance of this sacred place in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Clay tablets, fragments of papyrus and archaeological remains tell the fascinating story of how the Bible came into existence, and the influence it has had on Dutch society through the ages.