Can science and faith coexist? Is humanity guided by reason, revelation or both? For more than a thousand years, scholars from Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions wrestled with those questions.
Beginning July 31, visitors to the National Library of Israel can explore that shared intellectual journey through a major new exhibition featuring rare manuscripts, scientific writings and religious texts, many of them on public display for the first time.
The Quest of Questions—Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe spans more than a millennium of human inquiry, bringing together treasures from the library’s collections to examine the questions that have united civilizations across cultures and generations.
Rather than presenting a chronological history, the exhibition is organized around enduring questions that have occupied humanity for centuries.
“We wanted to make the display inclusive of Jewish, Christian and Arabic works,” co-curator Noa Menhaim told JNS during a press preview on July 22. “It was important to show the multicultural religious and philosophical schools of thought. There were many more options possible, but limited space.”
Journey through ideas
Visitors move through two dimly lit galleries where black walls focus attention on priceless manuscripts opened to carefully selected pages.
Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions are presented alongside scientific discovery, philosophy and mystical exploration, illustrating how generations of scholars often pursued the same fundamental questions through different lenses.
Drawing on the National Library’s extensive collections, the exhibition explores astronomy and astrology, algebra and geometry, theology and Kabbalah, medicine and alchemy. Rather than separating science from faith, it shows how many of history’s greatest thinkers regarded them as complementary paths toward understanding the universe.
Display texts appear in Hebrew, Arabic and English, highlighting centuries of intellectual exchange among Jewish, Muslim and Christian civilizations.
Among the first works visitors encounter is the magnificent Nuremberg Chronicle, published in Germany in 1493 and considered one of the finest illustrated examples of early European printing. Open to one of its more than 1,800 woodcut illustrations, it introduces visitors to humanity’s attempts to understand creation and history.
Nearby is an illuminated manuscript of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, representing the richly illustrated Hebrew manuscripts that helped shape Jewish scholarship throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Newton beyond physics
One of the exhibition’s most surprising sections reveals a lesser-known side of Sir Isaac Newton.
Alongside manuscripts documenting the physicist’s revolutionary scientific discoveries are papers exploring biblical prophecy, the dimensions of the Temple in Jerusalem, ancient civilizations and calculations concerning the End of Days.
The exhibition recounts the remarkable journey of Newton’s papers to Jerusalem. After Cambridge University declined to acquire them in 1875, nearly 8,000 handwritten pages eventually reached the National Library with the support of Albert Einstein, who recognized the importance of Newton’s theological writings as well as his scientific legacy.
Another centerpiece is The Canon of Medicine by the Persian physician and philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina), one of history’s most influential medical texts. The exhibition explores how Avicenna sought to reconcile Greek philosophy with Islamic thought while grappling with questions of morality, fate and human responsibility.
Additional highlights include Persian manuscripts, Armenian biblical illustrations, astronomical works by Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei, and writings by Saadia Gaon, Gersonides and Ibn Rushd.
Looking beyond today’s headlines
Asked why the exhibition resonates particularly today, National Library CEO Oren Weinberg said it offers an opportunity to step back from the relentless pace of current events.
“At times like these, which appear to be pivotal moments in human history, it is important to step back from the constant stream of daily events and reflect not only on the immediate concerns that occupy our attention, but also on the enduring questions that have challenged humanity across civilizations and generations,” Weinberg told JNS.
“While the circumstances of each era and place differ, these fundamental questions remain remarkably constant. This exhibition offers visitors precisely that opportunity for reflection.”
Audio guides will be available in multiple languages, and family programming will accompany the exhibition throughout its run. During the summer, younger visitors can participate in To Infinity, an interactive activity designed for families.
To help preserve the fragile manuscripts, curators said many of the displayed pages will be rotated approximately every three months to minimize exposure to light and air.
Founded in 1892, the National Library of Israel serves as the country’s premier research library and repository of the Jewish people’s cultural heritage. Since moving into its award-winning Jerusalem campus in 2023, it has expanded its role as a public cultural destination through a growing program of major exhibitions.
The Quest of Questions—Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe opens on July 31 and runs through March 2027 in the Helen Diller Family Rotating Exhibitions Gallery and the Djanogly Gallery at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem.
