The Shrine of the Book, inaugurated in 1965, is a large building designed and built in Jerusalem by architects Armand P. Bartos and Frederic J. Kiesler to both house and display the Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient biblical manuscripts were found at various times in the years following 1947 in the Qumran Caves on the northern shore of the Dead Sea, on the West Bank. The “Shrine”, full of symbolism and spirituality, is considered a milestone in modern architecture. It is located inside the Israel Museum complex and consists of a large white dome, covering a structure placed two-thirds below the ground, that is reflected in a pool of water that surrounds it. Across from the white dome is a black basalt wall. According to the most credited interpretation, the colours and shapes of the building are inspired on the imagery of the Scroll of the War, a sort of military manual describing the War of the Sons of Light (symbolised by the white dome) against the Sons of Darkness (represented by the black basalt wall).
