Shrine of the Book

SHRINE OF THE BOOK
4th in the "Jerusalem of Gold" Series
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel

The Shrine of the Book is part of the campus of the renowned Israel Museum in Jerusalem, in which the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient manuscripts are showcased and preserved. The unique shape of the Shrine of the Book, prominent in the Jerusalem landscape, is reflected in a pool of water that surrounds it. Designed by Frederick Kiesler and Armand Bartos, and inaugurated in 1965, the Shrine of the Book is an international landmark of modern architecture and the repository for the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Aleppo Codex and other rare, ancient manuscripts.

The Shrine of the Book was originally built to house the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known biblical manuscripts dating from about 2,000 years ago, discovered in 1947 at Qumran by the Dead Sea. The white building was designed to symbolize the lids of the jars in which the first scrolls were found, while the corridor leading into the Shrine resembles the cave, where they were discovered. In the 1950s, the 10th-century Aleppo Codex, the most authoritative manuscript of the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible in existence, was brought to Jerusalem, and is now on view in the Shrine of the Book.

Obverse: Part of the Shrine of the Book with its distinctive shape and wall at the base, which encloses a pool of water. In the upper center is an extract from the Great Isaiah Scroll, one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran.
In the upper border is the word "Jerusalem" in English, Hebrew and Arabic and to the right, the Face Value, Mint Year and Star of David Mint Mark.
Common Reverse of the Series: The Lion of Megiddo, with its stylized curved tail, is taken from an ancient seal excavated in Megiddo (Armageddon) in the Jordan Valley, dating from the 8th century BCE. The seal belonged to Shema, the servant of Jeroboam II, Israelite King. The lion is also the symbol of the Tribe of Judah and of the eternal capital of Israel, Jerusalem. The same Lion of Megiddo appeared in the past on the Israeli 5 Lira Banknote (1958), 5 Lira Coin (1978), and on the Half Sheqel Coin (1980). Above the figure of the lion appears the State of Israel Emblem and below it the word “Israel” in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Face Design: Aharon Shevo
Common Reverse Design: Meir Eshel
Engraving: Tidhar Dagan
Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
Mint: Royal Dutch Mint