Tickets go on sale today for the Science Museum of Minnesota's upcoming exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The exhibit will open March 12 at the museum, in downtown St. Paul overlooking the Mississippi River. It will run at least through the summer, but an end date hasn't been determined. It will apparently depend on how long the scrolls, some of which are more than 2,000 years old, can be exposed to light.

Three different sets of five scrolls will be here during the run, but only one set at a time will be displayed.

Says the Science Museum release:

After their initial discovery by a shepherd in caves along the shores of Israel’s Dead Sea near the ancient settlement of Qumran, archaeologists have excavated and pieced together thousands of scroll fragments into more than 900 separate documents - from biblical manuscripts and commentary to religious legal writings. These ancient Hebrew writing fragments are now archived and conserved by the Israel Antiquities Authority and, on rare occasion, are put on public display at world-class museums.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition is one of the most important exhibitions the Science Museum has ever hosted,” says Mike Day, senior vice president of museum enterprises at the Science Museum of Minnesota. “In bringing the scrolls to Minnesota, we are offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all visitors, regardless of their religious faith, to witness something truly remarkable. As the oldest known hand-scribed Bible by 1,000 years, the Dead Sea Scrolls represent a great archaeological story, as well as a story with deep religious, historic, and cultural significance.

Tickets are $28 for adults and $22 for kids and seniors. (Ticket price includes museum admission, The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, and a Dead Sea Scrolls audio tour, which features adult and family versions.) Price for museum members: $12 for adults and $10 for kids and seniors.