Hamshushalaim

There is a winter festival in Jerusalem in which all of the museums are open Thursdays evenings from nine pm to midnight and patrons can see the exhibits for free and hear special concerts. The Chicken and I took advantage of this last night and went to the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed inside an amazing piece of architecture. We traveled though a tunnel so you felt like you were in the caves in which the scrolls were found. The tunnel ended in a vaulted room that was designed to be like the inside of the clay pots the scrolls were carefully placed in by Jewish purists living in an isolated colony nearly two thousand years ago.
Inside, there was a centre area that was raised. Around the narrow lower outside ring, there was about a hundred people sitting where ever they could, which was mostly on the floor. A choir sung from the raised dais, with harmonies that echoed hauntingly though the room. The crowd was silent and captivated.

To me, it was a presentation of some of the greatest aspects of humanity, for not only were we surrounded ancient teachings and angelic music, but folks of all ages were there to witness it and many were examples of peaceful and beautiful aspects human interaction. Next to us an older couple sat on the floor. Their eyes were closed and the wife’s head was gently leaning against her husband’s shoulder. Nearby, there was another couple, in an effort to be comfortable on the hard floor, had an entwined seated posture that should have been sculpted. Behind me, a teenage daughter was flanked by her mother and grandmother. I guess James and I also were part of the display as we had nowhere to lean against as we sat on the floor, so we had turned our backs and leaned against one another.

James was near motionless and I wasn’t sure what he was thinking of being stuck in an acapella choral concert. He told me later he loved it and he must have been captivated into motionlessness. I have been to and performed in many choir concerts over the years, and even though I was sitting on the floor, this was one of my favorites.