Materializing the Bible Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion is the first book series dedicated exclusively to studies in material religion. Within the field of lived religion, the series is concerned with the material things with which people do religion, and how these things—objects, buildings, landscapes—relate to people, their bodies, clothes, food, actions, thoughts and emotions. The series engages and advances theories in ‘sensuous’ and ‘experiential’ religion, as well as informing museum practices and influencing wider cultural understandings with relation to religious objects and performances. Books in the series are at the cutting edge of debates as well as developments in fields including religious studies, anthropology, museum studies, art history, and material culture studies. Christianity and Belonging in Shimla, North India, Jonathan Miles-Watson Christianity and the Limits of Materiality, edited by Minna Opas and Anna Haapalainen Figurations and Sensations of the Unseen in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, edited by Birgit Meyer and Terje Stordalen Food, Festival and Religion, Francesca Ciancimino Howell Islam through Objects, Anna Bigelow Material Devotion in a South Indian Poetic World, Leah Elizabeth Comeau Qur’anic Matters, Natalia K. Suit The Religious Heritage Complex, edited by Cyril Isnart and Nathalie Cerezales Museums of World Religions, Charles D. Orzech Materializing the Bible Scripture, Sensation, Place James S. Bielo BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2022 Copyright © James S. Bielo, 2022 James S. Bielo has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. For legal purposes the Acknowledgments on p. x constitute an extension of this copyright page. Cover design: Toby Way Cover image © Rory M. Johnson, PhD All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third- party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Control Number: 2021938959 ISBN: HB: 978-1-3500-6504-8 ePDF: 978-1-3500-6506-2 eBook: 978-1-3500-6505-5 Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India To find out more about our authors and books visit www .bloomsbury .com and sign up for our newsletters For Sara, Simon, and Charlie vi Contents List of Figures ix Acknowledgments x Introduction 1 Section I: Variations on Replication 1 1:1 21 2 Miniaturizing 31 3 Reenacting 39 4 Imagineering 49 5 Plastic Jesus 59 6 Ways of Remaining 67 Section II: The Power of Nature 7 Flora 81 8 Fauna 91 9 Ingesting the Word 99 10 How Stones Do Things 107 Section III: Choreographing Experience Circulation 119 11 Miracles and Lavatories 123 12 Greetings From . . . 131 13 Like-able Me, Like-able There 141 Design 149 14 In Place, In Motion 153 15 Interactivity 165 16 Engulfed I 175 17 Engulfed II 187 viii Contents Classification 195 18 In the Garden 199 19 Rev. Ruth’s Yard Poetics 209 20 Four Crosses Over Waterbury 219 Conclusion 229 Notes 239 Bibliography 254 Index 270 Figures 1 Tabernacle replica 20 2 Model of Jerusalem at Clear Creek Bible College 30 3 The book of Job 38 4 Ark Encounter, exterior view 48 5 Biblical Sand Sculpture by Randy Hofman 58 6 Inside the World of Jesus of Nazareth at the Museum of the Bible 66 7 Entry to Biblical Garden at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church 80 8 Sign at Creation Museum Petting Zoo 90 9 Print for sale at Biblical History Center gift shop 98 10 Holy Land stone on display at the Garden of Hope 106 11 Brochure for Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré shrine 122 12 Postcard for Tabernacle replica 130 13 Instagram “selfie-spot” at Museum of the Bible 140 14 Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Shrine of Christ’s Passion 152 15 Inside the Hebrew Bible Experience at the Museum of the Bible 164 16 Postcard of the Cyclorama of Jerusalem 174 17 Virtual Reality at the National Geographic Tomb of Christ Experience 186 18 Tour group at Garden of Hope 198 19 Rev. Ruth in his Bible Park 208 20 Holy Land, USA 218