CHARLOTTE is anticipating lots of visitors for the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition:

Scrolls should boost local economy
2/9/2006 8:34 PM
By: Adam Shub, News 14 Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls will be displayed at Discovery Place next week, and the uptown museum has already sold 35,000 tickets for the exhibit.

The ancient manuscripts, the oldest-surviving writings from the Old Testament, will be showcased from Feb. 17 to May 29.

"We just put a very strong concerted effort out so that we could land it here in Charlotte,� said Joanie Philips, the museum�s director of major projects.

The effort should pay off.

Last year, the Scrolls brought 205,661 visitors to Mobile, Ala. -- 70 percent from out of town. The bottom line was an overall economic impact of $13.5 million.

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