https://www.jwupdates.com/post/new-patterson-visitor-center-and-first-century-museum
January 1, 2024, marked the official opening of the Patterson Visitor Center, located at the Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson, New York, U.S.A. The feature museum of the visitors’ center is entitled “First-Century Bible Village.” Brother Isaiah Miller, who works in the Museum Department at Bethel, said: “The Bible Village was designed to provide everyone with a realistic and educational experience. Studies show that interactive learning has a powerful effect on people of all ages.” After her tour, one visitor exclaimed: “This museum made me feel like I had been transported back to the land of ancient Israel. It was beautiful!”
The feature museum realistically portrays the animals, food, plants, and daily habits of those living in a first-century Israelite village. For example, the olive trees in the museum were fabricated using handcrafted molds of olive trees in Israel. Visitors can grind grain using a full-scale millstone and step aboard a fishing boat similar to the ones Jesus and his disciples used. One brother excitedly remarked: “I felt like I had stepped into the Bible account where Jesus said to the sea: ‘Hush! Be quiet!’” (Mark 4:39) As visitors tour a replica of an ancient synagogue, they can visualize themselves sitting and listening attentively to God’s Word being read aloud.
Another unique aspect of the museum is the opportunity to learn about first-century life by conversing with “Israelite villagers,” who are portrayed by brothers and sisters. Visitors can participate in various trades and tasks that were common in Jesus’ day. Ten-year-old Marcos said, “My favorite part was when I helped the Israelite carpenter build a stool!” “That was my favorite part too,” said eight-year-old Rebecca. “I also loved grinding the wheat to make flour.”
Along with the feature museum, there are three other sections in the visitors’ center. “First-Century Bible Coins” is an exhibit that features original first-century coins, including a rare tetradrachma. “All Your Sons Will Be Taught by Jehovah” is a museum that familiarizes visitors with a number of theocratic schools and underscores the benefits of divine education. “Defending and Legally Establishing the Good News” recounts faithful examples of brothers and sisters in several lands who faced persecution and shows how Jehovah’s organization loyally supported them.
The money making museum scam:
This is one of the first museums the Watchtower has created and with over 38 to follow across the globe in different Bethels in the next few years.
Now, why would the Watchtower like to build museums? The answer is easy, MONEY. The only driving power behind this organisation. Now, let's consider for a minute or two how this endeavour will add more money to the Watchtower's coffers.INCREASED GOVERMENT FUNDING:According to the American Association of Museums, 24.4% of museum funding comes from the government. Another 36.5% of the funds come from private donors, 27.6% from revenue, and 11.5% from investments. However, funding from federal, state, and local agencies may account for more or less of an individual museum’s budget. For instance, the Detroit Institute of the Arts receives nearly half of its yearly funding from local government sources. Now let's translate that in jw terms.If for example the yearly running costs of a museum is let's say 10 million dollars nearly as half of this money will be from local or national government funding. Now, real museums have real expenditure, buying or leasing artifacts, maintaining the building, paying employees. But what about a JW museum? All employees are free volunteer Bethelites, the museum is housed within the existing premises of Bethel, and the so-called artefacts are nothing more than old publications donated by brothers and sisters. It wasn't that long ago that the Watchtower was requesting brothers and sisters who have very old literature (books, brochures, records, tapes, videos, etc.) to donate those to the WHQ so that these can be displayed as ARTIFACTS in their new museums!!!
Albeit this time around the bought a few coins and replicated some of the props from first century village the build in Australia to film Jesus life!
So, in a typical Watchtower fashion, these museums can cost next to nothing to set up, then make fictitious numbers for running costs and then get the local government to fork up the bill to the tune of millions of dollars or pounds whatever the local currency is for that country.Dont forget the are expanding this scheme to 35 countries, so it must be successful.So in other words the Watchtower has found a new money stream to finance its Bethels and the organisation in total one that wasn't there before and it is far more reliable from the dwindling donations of its members. Now there is a lot more to say on this subject and I will be returning soon with more information.