Museum of the Bible releases first in-house film production, special exhibits to celebrate Easter

By Emily Hawley, Op-ed contributor Wednesday, March 31, 2021

The Via Dolorosa in Israel is the path Jesus is believed to have walked on as He journeyed to the Cross for crucifixion.

Matthew West narrates the Museum of the Bible's first in-house documentary.

The Museum of the Bible released its first in-house documentary,

Scene from the the Museum of the Bible's

The Christ the Redeemer statue is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The history of Passover explained in the

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The Museum of the Bible unveiled its Holy Week celebration, which includes its first in-house film production, special exhibits and performances to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

The Christian faith hinges on the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the museum, which opened in the nation's capital in 2017, seeks to display the hope and history of Easter this season.

Charlotte Clay, the Museum of the Bible’s media relations manager, told The Christian Post in a Tuesday interview how the museum’s new documentary, “The History of Easter,” shows the significance of Easter’s impact worldwide.

“For Christians, of course, nothing is more impactful than the resurrection of Jesus, but Easter is such a significant event that it caused much of the world to rearrange their calendar (A.D. and B.C.) …,” Clay said. “The event led more than a third of the world to call themselves Christian. So we take a look at the timeline, how Easter is tied to the lunar cycle and is connected with … the emergence from winter to spring, darkness to light, and how it corresponds with Passover and the Spring Equinox.”

Filmed in Israel, Italy and at the museum, the documentary explores the history, traditions, origins and global impact of Easter. It also includes a reenactment of the original Easter through Jesus’ passion week leading up to His death and resurrection.

The film dives into Easter traditions — such as painting eggs and the Easter Bunny — to understand where they originated and how people celebrate around the world.

“For those belonging to Christian, Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the resurrection of Jesus defines history and human life,” Museum of the Bible CEO Harry Hargrave said in a statement. “This documentary will engage viewers with a compelling exploration of the history of Easter. Through delving into the Bible and the Resurrection, not only Easter but the human condition may be better understood.”

Despite the loss suffered in the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Clay said the film also seeks to share a message of hope to everyone through the Easter story, especially during the second Easter of the pandemic.

“The documentary is our way of sharing about Easter with anyone anywhere in the world, especially during this time,” Clay said.

She said she hopes people will come away from the film with a “renewed perspective” in knowing “there’s always hope and spring out of winter” despite difficult times.

“While we face another Easter amidst the pandemic, we hold onto the hope of better times to come,” CEO of Museum of the Bible Harry Hargrave said in a statement. “For many, Easter provides the greatest hope to humanity across time and place. We wish to share this sense of hopefulness with our guests.”

“The History of Easter,” the documentary hosted by award-winning Christian musician and actor Matthew West, will air on Trinity Broadcasting Network Thursday at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., as well as Saturday at 2 p.m.

It will also be available to view on YouTube and the Museum of the Bible’s website.

The film marks the museum’s first in-house production and is just one aspect of the Museum of the Bible’s Easter week events.

Musician John Sweet will perform in the museum’s Grand Hall on Easter Sunday. Interactive storytelling of Easter’s history will take place in the afternoon from Friday to Sunday of Easter weekend.

Museum guests can walk through Jesus’ final steps on the Via Dolorosa before crucifixion through the 14 stations of Gib Singleton’s “Stations of the Cross” exhibit. The museum also offers a new interactive Education Station where families can create a stained-glass window.

A virtual "Lunch and Learn" with Director of Scholars Initiative Daniel Stevens was held on Wednesday to discuss the development of the Easter holiday.

The museum includes over 4,000 years of history to display the Bible’s ongoing and transformative impact in the world.

Admission is free for National Guard members through Easter Sunday.