RALEIGH -- A historical discovery is on display in the Capital City starting this weekend, as the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is now open at the Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.

While it’s a history lesson for some, for others it is a religious matter.

Lynn Carter of Clayton was the very first to show, coming an hour before the museum opened so she could “get a ticket for everybody, so there would be no doubt we would be able to see them,” she explained.

Carter calls it an amazing experience for her family and friends to be able to get an up close and personal look at history. "To me it's overwhelming to be able to see something as ancient as this is, to actually be able to first hand visualize it myself, it's just a miracle.”

The scrolls are considered the oldest surviving copy of the Hebrew Bible, what Christians now refer to as the books of the Old Testament. The traveling tour includes translations and historical references.

"There's no doubt in my mind that before the exhibit ends there will be a significant amount of church groups that come to see it,” said Carter. “I think it's very meaningful religiously."

The 12 scrolls on display are 2,000 years old, and Carter says the exhibit really does take you to another place and time. “It's just the religious significance of it; it's the awe that this still exists from biblical times."

The exhibit runs through December 28. Tickets are $22 for adults and $3-12 for children. There are discounts for students, military members and senior citizens.