Exclamation points underscore everything we hear about the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit this summer at the San Diego Natural History Museum. It opened June 29 and had more than 56,000 visitors in about four weeks. On July 21, the museum set a single-day attendance record at the museum of 3,206. On average, about 2,170 people are descending daily on the museum to see parchments and fragments from 250 years Before the Common Era to 68 years After the Common Era. The scrolls represent the oldest discovered copies of books that resulted in the Hebrew Bible.Before they close the exhibit and pack up their delicate pieces of history on Dec. 31, its expected that 400,000 to 450,000 people will have visited the museum. In a full year, that museum gets about 250,000. Most tickets are $20 to $28 and can be ordered at www.sdscrolls.org, and they allow entry in the rest of the museum.We began marketing the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition over a year ago to tour operators and convention planners around the country, with emphasis on southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, said Chuck Yash, project manager. His most recent tallies showed 800 groups had booked nearly 30,000 tickets and 9,000 museum lunches. Among the groups are large families, churches, schools, seniors, college alumni associations and Bible study groups.Museum visitors left comments like this:n Amazing I feel I have seen and experienced a part of the worlds history. Without flying across the continent, I have been transported to another world I am in awe.n A truly profound and inspiring experience As an historian, I was able to appreciate the complexity of the history surrounding the scrolls Thank you so much for the opportunity to view this piece of history. It is truly something that all people from all parts of the world and all faiths can come together to share.n It was like a trip through time. I felt closer to God through his word by being closer in time to the actual words. Thanks for the opportunity to examine the roots of my faith.The story about the scrolls discovery has become familiar. In 1947, a Bedoin boy, tending his sheep, went searching for one and tossed a stone into a cave. He discovered scrolls that eventually would lead to a treasure trove in 11 caves along the shores of the Dead Sea in Israel.The San Diego exhibit is spread across two floors and 14,500 square feet. On display are authentic Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient illuminated manuscripts, artifacts, landscape and aerial photography and interactive displays about science, discovery and exploration. Experts say that because of the fragility of the scrolls, it is likely their traveling days will soon come to an end.

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