Summer Selects, our curated picks for great things to do and see throughout the Boston area this season, includes a suggestion that you head to the sea. No, not to tour our famed coastline or any other water-based activity (although there are plenty of fun things to do in, on, or near the ocean). This particular selection advises you to head indoors to the Dead Sea Scrolls: Life in Ancient Times exhibit at the Museum of Science.
While it may be better known for its future-focused explorations of technology, engineering, and science, the museum goes back in time -- way back a few millennia -- to showcase the fragile documents which contain texts of the Bible. In addition to the scrolls, the exhibit includes a large stone from Jerusalem's Western Wall, a relic of the Biblical temple, ossuaries from the early Roman period, and other artifacts from the Iron Age.
There are plenty of other things to discover at the museum, including exhibits about wind turbines, computers, robotics, and nanotechnology (the science of incredibly small devices). By testing out prototypes, there is even an opportunity for visitors to help develop an upcoming exhibit about the technology, math, and science behind Disney-Pixar's groundbreaking computer animated films. There are also wonderful presentations in the museum's planetarium and IMAX theater.
Speaking of the sea, among the films now showing on the 50-foot-tall IMAX dome screen is The Last Reef: Cities Beneath the Sea, an eye-popping look at colorful tropical reefs. Dead Sea Scrolls: Life in Ancient Times Museum of Science 1 Science Park, Boston 617-723-2500
Photo: Museum of Science
