Never before toured in California and not seen in the U.S. since 2013, the Ten Commandments Scroll will be on exclusive display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum for a limited time until April 24, 2025. This is the only stop on this tour to feature them. The scroll, believed to be over 2000 years old, is considered the oldest existing copy of the Ten Commandments and is permitted for display only two weeks every two years.
The Scroll, discovered in 1952 in Qumran Cave 4, contains Deuteronomy 8:5–10 and Deuteronomy 5:1–6:1 written on leather. According to biblical narratives in Exodus and Deuteronomy, God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, inscribing them on stone tablets as guiding principles for the community.
The Ten Commandments Scroll limited-time exhibition is part of a larger display at the library. The display, “Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition,” showcases a special collection of eight ancient Jewish manuscripts and 200 archaeological finds that date back over 2,000 years. The scrolls are believed to date from 250 BCE to 68 CE. This larger display runs through September 2, 2025.
The Reagan Library states, “In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon a remarkable discovery in the Judaean Desert – the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Over the next decade, this chance finding would lead to the unearthing of thousands of manuscript fragments from 11 caves near the ancient site of Qumran, dating back two millennia.
These fragile parchments, preserved by the arid climate and darkness of the caves, represent an unparalleled treasure trove of ancient wisdom. They include the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) and an extraordinary library of previously unknown religious writings, offering unprecedented insights into the spiritual and cultural landscape of the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE).”
For the special Ten Commandments Scroll exhibit, the library will have extended hours during the two-week period, with a limited 1,600 allocated tickets per day
Source and Photo Credit: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum