Museum of the Bible

What it reported doing in 2025

Research and education: museum of the bible sponsors research through its scholars initiative, the mission of which is to facilitate research (primarily on artifacts in the museum collection) and to help prepare the next generation of scholars. To these ends, it provides grants to scholars to pursue research to provide students with opportunities to develop as scholars through scholar/mentor relationships. In the 2024-2025 academic year, scholars initiative collaborated with multiple professional researchers and graduate fellows on a variety of research projects. Continued on schedule otorah scrolls project the torah scrolls project, largely conducted through in-house curatorial work, is devoted to the study of the torah scrolls collection curated by the museum. The project has three major goals: the first is the production of a comprehensive online database of the entire torah scroll collection. A torah scroll imaging rig was completed in 2024 to help advance the online database. The second is the creation of a new body of scholarly literature in medieval and modern torah scroll research, an area that has been largely neglected. The third is the restoration of such scrolls as have no long-term research value to a condition where they would be fit for ritual use, and the distribution of these scrolls to jewish communities in need of torah scrolls. The project has received a grant for provenance research. Imaging laboratory to aid in the conservation, research, and accesibility of the museum's collections, we are constructing an imaging laboratory after an initial grant from the m. J. Murdock charitable trust. This laboratory will be built to a multi-spectral standard, so the most accurate data can be gathered from the items in the museum's collection. These images will be hosted publicly on a website and will enable both scholars and the general public to better access the items in the museum's collections. The renovations have been completed with the first of two camera systems operational. The imaging lab was completed in 2024. A director of the imaging lab and an intern technician have been hired. Codex climaci rescriptus syriac projectthe present project involves students in the study of the famous codex climaci rescriptus (ccr; motb.ms.000149), focusing on two syriac texts by john climacus. Participants interact with codicology, paleography, translation technique and the textual and reception histories of these syriac translations. The primary goal is the production of a critical edition of the relevant syriac texts which critically engages the greek text. The edition will explore the role of the syriac translation as a witness to the aramaic world in which the syriac text had been created and would flourish for centuries. The ccr enjoys a central role, but the project also transcribes and incorporates parallel texts in greek and syriac. As of the conclusion of the initial contract in the summer of 2019, the project has identified all manuscripts to be utilized, structured digital indices, established image management processes, launched a designated online transcription tool, prepared a syriac base text, drafted a greek base text, and created digital transcription guidelines for the syriac language. The project has proposed a second phase in which the tools developed for editing syriac texts developed in the first phase will be used in the study of the syriac text of climacus' works. The proposed outcomes are a digital edition, a conference and subsequent volume, and then a printed critical edition of the syriac ladder of divine ascent. The museum has also been invited to participate in a special research imaging project in partnership with the slac national accelerator laboratory. This is a joint lab sponsored by stanford university and the us department of energy. El-araj archaeological digthis archaelogical dig, directed by dr. R. Steven notley of the center for the study of ancient judaism and christian origins, is p

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 79.6%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 74.6%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0.8%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.76; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.6%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings