The Louvre with Bible in Hand
The Louvre Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday (entrance free on Sunday). The Department of Oriental Antiquities closes from 12 to 2 p.m. Some departments are open on Friday evening, from 9 to 11 p.m.
MAIN DENON ENTRANCE: Left through Denon Gallery, left of Grand Staircase, down corridor toward “Venus of Milo” (fertility goddess identified with Greek Aphrodite, Canaanite Ashtoreth and Babylonian Ishtar). To the right, just before “Venus”:
1. Statue of Marsyas being flayed on a torture stake (good example of true meaning of Greek words stauros in Matthew 27:40 and xylon in Acts 5:30).
Retrace your steps and turn right into Caryatid Room; at far end descend to the Sully Crypt. In second bay to right:
2. Cast of Greek notice from Herod’s temple: “Gentiles Keep Out Under Pain of Death.” Throws light on Acts 21:27-29; Eph. 2:14.
3. Cast of the eighth century B.C.E. Siloam Inscription, apparently describing the excavation of the tunnel Hezekiah made to bring water into Jerusalem.—2 Ki. 20:20; 2 Chron. 32:30.
4. Original Moabite Stone (French: Stèle de Mésa); inscription giving the Moabite version of the events related in 2 Kings 3:4, 5, 21-27. Dating from the 10th century B.C.E., this inscription is the oldest non-Biblical text containing the divine name (to the right on the 18th line).
5. [In glass case] Reconstructed Dead Sea Scroll jar.
Up staircase into Room I (103) of Oriental Antiquities Department:
6. [To the right] Stele of the Vultures: one side, conquered people in net (good illustration of Habakkuk 1:15-17); other side, king and troops with flowing hair (exemplifies Judges 5:2).
7. [Room IV (106)] Original Code of Hammurabi, inscribed with 282 ancient Babylonian laws based on retaliation (compare Leviticus 19:18 for superiority of Mosaic law).
8. [Wall on right] Enameled brick lion from Babylon’s Processional Way, as seen by Jewish captives.—Compare Jeremiah 50:17; Daniel 7:4.
9. [Room V (107)] Pottery and jewelry found at Shushan (French: Suse).—Compare Esther 2:3, 8; 5:1, 2.
10. [Room VII (109)] Huge column-capital and crossbeam of cedarwood from the palace of Darius I, Xerxes or Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes in Shushan.—Compare Esther 1:2; Nehemiah 1:1; 2:1.
11. [Room VIII (110)] Cylinder seals and signet rings from Shushan.—Compare Esther 8:2, 10.
Down into the Marengo Crypt and up into Rooms XVI (116) to XXII (122):
12. [Room XVIII (118)] Collection of Baals and Astartes, or Ashtoreths, found at Ugarit (Ras Shamra) on the coast of Syria.—Compare Judges 10:6.
13. [Room XXII (121)] In two glass cases to left, ivory work from bed of Hazael, king of Syria, one ivory being inscribed with his name.—Compare 1 Kings 19:15; 22:39; Amos 1:4; 6:4.
14. [In glass case to right] Fragment of bronze plate showing Assyrian King Esar-haddon, mentioned in 2 Kings 19:37.
15. [On walls to left] Stone panels found in palace of Assyrian King Sargon II, mentioned in Isaiah 20:1.
16. [Room XXII (122)] Huge winged bulls from Sargon’s palace in Khorsabad; the wings remind Bible students of Isaiah 8:7, 8.
17. [Stairway in middle of Room XXII] Stone panels from Assyrian King Ashurbanipal’s palace in Nineveh, showing the cruelty of the Assyrians.—Compare 2 Kings 17:6; Nahum 1:1; 2:11-13; 3:1.
The most convenient way to begin a visit to the Department of Egyptian Antiquities is to retrace your steps to the “Venus of Milo” and descend staircase at end of corridor, or to reenter the Louvre by the Champollion Door.
From “Venus of Milo” or Champollion Door, descend into crypt:
18. [Room 137] Sphinx found at Tanis, Greek name for Zoan, mentioned in Numbers 13:22. The name of Pharaoh Sheshonk I (Shishak) is inscribed on the left shoulder. This pharaoh is mentioned in 1 Kings 11:40 and 2 Chronicles 12:1-9.
19. [Room 135] Mastaba funeral chapel, where family and priests met to pray for deceased person’s soul. Proof that long before the Greeks and Christendom’s churches, the Egyptians believed in the immortality of the soul.—Compare Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ezekiel 18:4.
20. [Room 133] Near window, low-relief limestone fragment depicting famine conditions.—Compare Genesis 41:30, 31.
21. [Room 131] Several steles depicting a false door, separating the living from the dead, to allow the souls of the deceased to return.—Compare Deuteronomy 18:10, 11.
22. [Room 129] Famous Seated Scribe statue. The history of Egypt was written by such scribes, often trained by priests who did not hesitate to delete from the records anything uncomplimentary to the ruling pharaoh or to his gods. This explains why the events related in Exodus, chapters 12 to 14, are not mentioned in Egyptian historical records. A blatant example of the unreliableness of Egyptian inscriptions is to be seen in the next room.
23. [Next room (unnumbered)] Colossal statue of a pharaoh. Ramses II dishonestly had this king’s name chiseled out and his own put in.
24. [Room 127, under room number] Squatting military commander holding picture of baboon-shaped god Thoth, moon god of magical arts, healing, rain and thunder, light and darkness. Hence, the god humiliated by Plagues 3, 6, 7 and 9.—Ex. 8:18; 9:11, 23-26; 10:22, 23.
25. [Room 126 (Galerie d’Alger), facing wall between windows 3 and 4] Stele C. 286, famous “Hymn to Osiris,” a popular divinity identified with Babylonian god Tammuz and suggested as being Nimrod deified.—Gen. 10:8.
26. [Center of 5th window] “Stele of the Necklace” (C. 213). Perfect illustration of Genesis 41:42.
27. [7th window] Low-relief (B. 56, B. 57) showing scene of lamentation in which the Semite ethnic type is easily recognizable.
28. [Room 125 (Galerie Henri IV) to right of door] Head and feet of colossal statue. Name of original pharaoh dishonestly removed by Amenophis III and replaced with his own. List of conquered peoples inscribed under pharaoh’s feet.
29. [West (left) wall] Statue of Hekatefnakht, wearing Persian costume, confirming Persia’s domination of Egypt.—Compare Isaiah 43:3; 45:1; Esther 1:1.
Return to entrance of Room 125 and go up “Egyptian Stairway”
30. [Upper landing] Sphinx—further example of dishonest name-replacement. Statue first usurped by Ramses II, then by his son Merneptah.
31. [Room B (238)] Case 4 (in middle of room): Models of granaries, showing scribes registering the amount of grain stored.—Compare Genesis 41:35, 48, 56.
32. [Room C (240)] Cases 13 and 14: Papyrus “Book of the Dead,” showing the judgment of the dead person by Osiris. Notice, in case to the right, heart being weighed on scales, and in case to the left, soul hovering above body. All of this is reminiscent of “Last Judgment” depicted on central porch of Notre Dame cathedral.
33. [Room E (244)] Case 6 (near window): Small painted ivory engraving of Pharaoh Tutenkhamon (Tutankhamen) depicted picking grapes. Proof that Herodotus was wrong and that grapes grew in ancient Egypt.—Gen. 40:9-11.
34. [Room F (246)] Case 3: Bronze Sphinx (N. 515) and another artifact (E. 17 107) inscribed with the name of Apries or Hophra. (Jer. 44:30) [Case 8] Gold triad (triad of Osorkon II) of the Egyptian deities Isis, Osiris and Horus. Proof that the Trinity idea existed long before the Catholic Church adopted it.