Last updated: 5:00 AM ET, Mon June 29, 2026
WHY IT RATES: The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem won the ACTA - International Tourism Award for "Best Museum" for its role in preserving the Dead Sea Scrolls and its engaging visitor experience, coinciding with the Israel Museum's 60th anniversary and a major exhibition on the Isaiah Scroll. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Executive Editor
The Shrine of the Book, one of the most iconic museum spaces in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, has been awarded the ACTA - International Tourism Award in the "Best Museum" category by the Italian Tourist Press Group (GIST). This prestigious award celebrates the excellence of a place capable of preserving and recounting some of the oldest and most significant testimonies of human history.
Opened in 1965 and designed by architects Armand Bartos and Frederick Kiesler, the Shrine of the Book is known worldwide for preserving the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient texts that represent an invaluable heritage for understanding the cultural and spiritual roots of the Near East and Western civilization.
Its powerful and symbolic architecture contributes to making the visitor experience unique: the large white dome recalls the lids of the jars in which the scrolls were found, while the black basalt wall in front evokes the contrast between light and darkness, knowledge and mystery, in reference to the ancient text The Struggle Between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, also part of the Qumran findings. Inside, the circular exhibition route accompanies visitors through an intimate and evocative environment, creating a direct dialogue with documents that have spanned over two thousand years of history.
The ACTA award comes at a particularly significant moment, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Israel Museum and the recent opening of the major exhibition "A Voice from the Desert": an event of international importance that focuses on the Great Isaiah Scroll, which will be on display in its entirety to the general public for four months.
Considered the oldest and most complete biblical manuscript ever discovered, the Isaiah Scroll dates back to the 2nd century BC and extends for over seven meters, divided into 54 columns that comprise the entire 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah. For the first time in decades, the artifact is being presented to the public, offering an unprecedented opportunity to get closer to one of the fundamental sources of biblical tradition.
The scientific direction of the exhibition has been entrusted to Italian Marcello Fidanzio, full professor at the Faculty of Theology of Lugano - University of Italian Switzerland and director of the Institute of Culture and Archaeology of the Biblical Lands, one of the leading international experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The exhibition, developed in collaboration with Israel Museum curator Hagit Maoz, integrates philological research, advanced scientific analysis, and innovative technologies, including multispectral surveys and studies on ink composition and scribal hands, allowing visitors to explore not only the content of the manuscript, but also its creation process and the historical context in which it was born.
The ACTA award conferred by GIST recognizes the Shrine of the Book as a place capable of transforming a visit into an experience of profound knowledge, where architecture, history, research, and dissemination come together in an engaging narrative.
A museum that does not merely preserve the past, but continues to bring it to life, making it accessible and meaningful to contemporary audiences.
"We are deeply honored to receive ACTA as Best Museum from the Italian Tourist Press Group, an award that has special meaning for us because it comes from professionals who every day recount and promote the cultural excellence of the world," said Kalanit Goren, director of the Tourism Authority. "The Shrine of the Book represents a bridge between the past and the present, a place where history comes to life and continues to speak to new generations. This award celebrates not only an institution, but the passionate work of scholars, curators, and researchers committed to making a heritage of universal value accessible."
For information: www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book
SOURCE: Israel Ministry of Tourism
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