Explore Biblical Artifacts at the British Museum

Looking at one of the numerous statues of the famous Pharaoh Amenhotep III, grandfather of Tutankhamun. Moses may have been very familiar with this pharaoh, but Egyptologists are divided.

Discussing the Parthenon temple sculpture of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. The Apostle Paul must have seen this when he visited Athens in Acts 17.

Discussing Sennacherib, the most frequently-mentioned Assyrian king in the Bible, on his throne. He captured the city of Lachish before besieging King Hezekiah and Isaiah in Jerusalem.

Pointing out Israelite King Jehu paying tribute to Assyrian King Shalmaneser on the black obelisk, 800s BC.

Pointing out King Tarhaqa, a pharaoh mentioned in the Bible. He is under the protection of the Egyptian god Amun, depicted as a ram.

Explaining how Roman emperor Vespasian fits into Bible history, as the commander of the army that suppressed the Great Jewish Revolt, 66AD. His son Titus would go on to destroy the temple.

Explaining the impact of a clay cylinder of Babylonian King Nabonidus, which mentions his son Belshazzar.

Pointing out that Ramesses the Great intentionally omitted pharaohs from his list. He considered them embarrassing so he just left them out.

Explaining Alexander the Great's impact on the New Testament and his being mentioned in the book of Daniel 4 times.

Discussing the sophisticated region of Mesopotamia, where Abraham lived before being called by God.

Explaining how Assyrian King Shalmaneser III demanded tribute (protection money) from various countries to avoid getting conquered. Israel was one of these subservient countries.

Pointing out the standard Assyrian cruelty to prisoners from a campaign led by Shalmaneser III. This helps to explain why Jonah avoided going to Nineveh and was angry when God forgave the Ninevites.

Talking about the glazed brick lion panel that was in the throne room of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel would have seen this.

Examining the oldest known depiction of Jesus, in the form of a Roman mosaic. Dating to the 300s AD, found southwest of London.

The Battle of the Chisels on the back of Amenhotep III. His heretical son Akhenaten chiseled out the names of gods because they were false. Tutankhamum chiseled them back in.

Looking at a pair of powerful Assyrian kings, Shalmaneser III and his father Ashurnasirpal II. Shalmaneser claimed to have defeated King Ahab of Israel in battle.

Looking at a pair of mighty Assyrian kings, Sargon II and his son Sennacherib. Sargon completed the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and Sennacherib unsuccessfully attacked Hezekiah in Jerusalem.

Discussing Thutmose III, who could have been the pharaoh of the Exodus. He was one of the most militarily successful pharaohs.

Explaining the lion hunt reliefs of Assyrian King Ashurbanipal, whose name appears in Ezra 4. The prophet Nahum predicts the fall of Assyria, using a lion to represent the country.

Duration3h - 4h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 10 travelers

Overview

Is the Bible not as clear as you would like it to be?

In this semi-private guided tour, you'll go through the British Museum, connecting numerous ancient artifacts to verses, helping you to discover the common thread that weaves the books and people together.

Verses are no longer just words on a page when you see an ancient artifact bring the passage to life. By placing each event on a timeline, you'll understand how they relate to one another.

You'll remember the artifacts and verses in two ways:

1. Read the Bible for yourself: Instead of hearing the guide's interpretation, you'll read the verses in your own translation in front of the artifact. You'll remember the artifact and the verse better.

2. Socratic questioning: Instead of listening to a guide's one-way talk, you'll be asked gentle questions that prompt you to the answer. Self-discovery is the best way to learn, and by saying the answer in front of the artifact, you'll remember the artifact and the answer better.

What's included

Optional portable folding stools
Google Doc of study notes including a comprehensive list of Bible verses related to the artifacts

What to expect

The British Museum
3h

We start with the Assyrian, Egyptian and Greek galleries on the ground floor.

We'll see 40-ton Assyrian lamassu beasts, statues of famous pharaohs and the Parthenon temple sculptures of Athens.

After a break, we go upstairs to see the Roman galleries. Optional galleries include Persia and Babylon as time allows and your preference dictates.

We'll look at Roman emperors and objects that relate directly to Jesus and Paul.

Some of the Biblical people we'll discuss:
Egypt: Joseph, Moses
Assyria: Jonah, Ahab, Hezekiah;
Rome: Jesus; Paul
Greek: Paul

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet *outside* the entrance to Reading Room, left side
Reading Room is inside of Great Court. Look for "Foster and Partners" on the wall.

Please do not meet inside the Reading Room.

End point

Meet *outside* the entrance to Reading Room, left side
Reading Room is inside of Great Court. Look for "Foster and Partners" on the wall.

Please do not meet inside the Reading Room.

Additional information

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Install Viator, Tripadvisor apps to receive and view several important messages
Bible app that browses for verses in airplane mode (YouVersion is a good app)
After booking, check for important messages in your app and email inbox.
Not recommended for jet-lagged travelers who have just arrived after a long haul flight

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

5.0 (145)

From

£55.80 per person

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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
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Operated by London Bible Tours · Booked through Viator

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