Inspired Exhibit brings rare biblical artifacts to Branson
- Cynthia J. Thomas
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Attendees at the recent Greater Purpose Conference, sponsored by World Missions Alliance and held at the Thousand Hills Resort Hotel in Branson, were privileged to enjoy a tour of artifacts from The Inspired Exhibit, a traveling exhibit featuring rare biblical manuscripts, printed Bibles, and historical Bible-related artifacts. The exhibit was also available to the public during the conference.
The Inspired Exhibit helps strengthen faith in the reliability of the Bible for believers and skeptics alike by telling the story of its composition, translation, preservation and impact. The exhibit was founded by Dr. Scott Carroll, who was on hand at the conference along with his wife, Denise, to guide tours through a selection of 18 inspirational items from the collection.
Dr. Carroll said his interest and education in history led to serving as curator for a private collection, and then to the realization that there is a remarkable amount of evidence and artifacts that verify the reliability of the Bible. Part of the exhibit was a listing of 135 people mentioned in the Bible whose names also appear in historical documents, verifying the roles and events documented in the Bible. At least 106,856 hand-written manuscripts have been found, and Dr. Carroll shared that based on scholars’ research of usual copyist practices, those manuscripts represent over 53,000 years of work, including much done at monasteries and at sophisticated centers of Jewish scholarship.
Highlights of the tour included many treasures:
A Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust; a Jewish grandmother told an American liberator soldier exactly where to look in the remains of her home, and it was there!
An ancient Coptic manuscript—evidence that Christianity existed in early African civilizations;
A parallel three-language manuscript produced in Yemen;
And so much more, just a sampling of the entire collection.
Tour participants were particularly impacted by the evidence of advancements in Christianity and Bible translation even during what is known as the “Dark Ages.” During that time, missionaries were transcribing languages to produce scriptures even in barbarian areas, leading to literacy as well as seeds of Christian evangelism. Attempts to destroy the Scriptures over the centuries have been thwarted, sometimes in miraculous ways.
The Inspired Exhibit has held major exhibits across the U.S. and internationally in universities, museums and libraries; here in southwest Missouri, College of the Ozarks hosted a portion of the Exhibit in 2024. The exhibit attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually, as people seek a reliable foundation in the midst of a tumultuous culture.
World Missions Alliance, headquartered in Branson West, was founded in 1991 by Chuck and Helen Todd for the purpose of sharing the Gospel, particularly in “hot spots” and closed or restricted nations, and offering Christians a chance to get involved and participate in the Great Commission worldwide.
Visit https://www.inspiredexhibit.org to learn more about the artifacts and check out upcoming events. Learn more about World Missions Alliance, including missions trip opportunities, at https://rfwma.org.