Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to Intersection of Faith and Culture. It's The WallBuilders Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective. And today's topic? Well, it's very biblical. There's a lot of history. And we're going to talk about one of the most constitutional presidents of the last 100 years. Definitely not the most constitutional. Well, you know, he tried anyway. All right, guys. We got an interesting topic today, by the way. I'm Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton. And you can learn more about us at wallbuilders.com and the radio program at WallBuilders Dot Show. So, guys, we're going to we're going to talk to ancient things. No, that's really mean. Ronald Reagan is not ancient. He's he's like, you know, in heaven he's gone. But he made it to ancient right? Like he was they would joke with him about how old he was as president. They need to turn it back on them, talk about how young they were. 

Tim Barton [00:00:51] That would be pretty incriminating of yourself, Rick, if you're talking about Reagan, your favorite guy. 

Rick Green [00:00:56] Yes. Well, you know, because I read about him in books and stuff. 

Tim Barton [00:01:00] Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Did you vote for him? I forgot. 

Rick Green [00:01:06] You know, I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't old enough. I wish. I wish 

Tim Barton [00:01:11] It never stopped Democrats. I'm just saying.

Rick Green [00:01:13] Yes. You can be dead and vote if you're a Democrat. No, it's it's it's got to be a really interesting topic, guys. We're going to combine Ronald Reagan and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Now, people are going to just have to figure it out as we go as to how we're going to do that. But let's talk Reagan for just a little bit. I forget, guys, that that, you know, we've got multiple generations since he's been president and a lot of people know nothing about him. I think of him as, you know, like a really well known president because Republicans for so long, he was the the model that everybody talked about. But, man, today you mention his name and they don't necessarily know know. 

Tim Barton [00:01:47] And I would even go further to point out that not only do most people not know him, the things that many people know of him are portraying him in a very negative light, similar to a I mean, we've joked about it before. But if if Hillary Clinton were to write the history of Donald Trump's presidency, you would go, that's just ridiculous. And yeah, it's what's happened in a lot of academia is there's a lot of very leftist liberal professors, many of them who are very pro socialist Marxists and communists, and they're not a fan at all of Reagan. And what he did and why he did it or how he did it. And so there's been a very bad portrayal of arguably all white Christian Republicans in general. But certainly Ronald Reagan, who when you look at what life was like in America under Jimmy Carter and things go in the wrong direction, Jimmy Carter's making these pushes like just learn to ride your bike more, right? Don't worry if there's not gas for your car, if you can't afford it or if you can't buy groceries anymore, that's as just a new normal. And rating comes along and says, that's crazy. We we can make America really great again. Kind of this first push of making America great again. Not quite the words he used, but the idea behind it of America's great. Our best days are right in front of us. We can do this. And to see the way he's portrayed today really is pretty, pretty appalling and abysmal, but not surprising when we recognize how leftist liberal and woke so much of academia is. 

David Barton [00:03:21] But, you know, he really got a lot done and he got a lot done at a time when he did not have a Republican Congress to help him at all. He is one of the most efficient presidents we've had in the 20th century. What he did in essentially dismantling the largest, greatest enemy America ever had, the Soviet Union, he by himself almost, because he didn't get much help in Congress. He took the Soviet Union down. And they are no longer the the evil empire that they were at the time. And they were an empire. They they reached all the way around the world like Great Britain had reached around the world when she had an empire back in the 1700s. The Soviet Union was they were the source of most of the fighting, most of the wars, most of the conflicts going on globally. They were heavily communistic. And it was just it was bad. And he was able to take them down. And they even made fun of him at the time because they were talking about the new devices that he was. And part of how he took the Soviet Union down was he he kept talking about these new military devices we would have that we didn't have yet. But it made the Soviet Union spend tens of billions of dollars trying to develop something to negate something that we didn't even have at the time. And so they really spent themselves into oblivion. They kind of wiped themself out internally. But Reagan had so much stuff that he changed in the nation and he really was a bipartisan president. And I don't mean that any compromising sense. I mean that in the sense that the Democrats actually learned to get along with him because he was so popular and he was so popular, was such a large landslide. Was it in his reelection was 49 states. He won 49 of the 50 states. And so Democrats had a mandate to get along with him and did that at a time when he did not have a single year of having a Republican House or Senate at all. He did. All of that without any Republican House or Senate. He was the lone voice for Republicans especially. And by the way, put it in perspective, Rick, you mentioned that the first Make America Great Again was Ronald Reagan. The second time is Donald Trump. Reagan went through eight years. 

Tim Barton [00:05:23] I mention that. That's why I'm giving you credit. That's my dad and I'm used to that. 

Rick Green [00:05:28] I was a ventriloquist. I was I was doing my best ventriloquist act and and having Tim say those things. 

David Barton [00:05:34] It was so good at work. Worked better than I thought. I thought, yeah, I got it wrong. 

Rick Green [00:05:39] You thought anything positive said about Ronald Reagan had to be coming from the other guy? The same ticket? Reagan. Yes. 

David Barton [00:05:44] I forgot. You forgot? You already. Forgot Reagan. I'm not counting you anymore. So this Make America Great Again thing. I mean, Ronald Reagan did it without any help in the House or Senate except from popular pressure. Now, what's happened with Trump is and by the way, for the last if you go back to Calvin Coolidge, which is a. 

Rick Green [00:06:05] Great I think I think Reagan did have the Senate for just two years. 

David Barton [00:06:08] He did. But. 

Rick Green [00:06:10] Yeah, he certainly didn't have both houses, so he couldn't. That's what threw his agenda. 

David Barton [00:06:14] Yeah, he didn't have a trifecta. And if you go to a Democrat like Franklin Roosevelt for 12 years, he had the House and the Senate and then he got in office and Truman total control and Truman got the next four years. He really had six years of House and Senate and Democrat president. So that's called a trifecta when you have the House and Senate and the president and Democrats had a lot of that. You go to LBJ, he had a lot of that. But when you go to Republicans, they did not. And so out of the 102 years of presidencies since back in Calvin Coolidge, Republicans have only had a Republican president, Republican House, Republican Senate, 16 out of those hundred and two years. Now, Democrats had it 40 years and the other 56 years were split the House and Senate. Like you said, Rick, ad Reagan with the Senate, Reagan, the president, but he didn't have the House. So that trifecta, Republicans have not had much of that. And Trump, I mean, this is the second time he's going to have a Republican House or Senate. So essentially, in the last 200 years, 25% of all the time Republicans had a trifecta have been under Trump, which is pretty amazing. So going back to Ronald Reagan, he got so much done without at all any kind of help in the House or Senate except popular pressure. But the Reagan Library, all the stuff that there is such a remarkable, remarkable place, such a great history of a great president. And Tam, as you said, you know, so many the professors have attacked him now in a in a very vicious way. And people just don't know the truth anymore. But that's what the Reagan Library is all about, is they actually have all the artifacts and documents there. And and so it's a great place to visit. Great place to go. 

Rick Green [00:07:56] Well, and of course, every presidential library, they're kind of tasked with defending the legacy or the, you know, the memory of of that particular president. Reagan Library does a phenomenal job. It's an amazing place to visit, really. They really have some cool exhibits and they and they bring in special exhibits. And so one of the ones they're going to they're actually have have brought in. And it's not just for limited time. It's going to be for an extended time. It's the Dead Sea Scrolls, which I, I would not have thought of that for a presidential museum. But we going to have a guest on today to talk about the exhibit itself. And I mean, this is a pretty remarkable opportunity to learn some more recent history in terms of American history at the presidential museum, but then way back history and really important history to Christianity. 

David Barton [00:08:36] Well, you know, Ronald Reagan really made faith popular in America again. He was a president that that really took faith positions very strongly. What he did with the National Day of Prayer, what he did with so many things to make God center and and this Dead Sea Scrolls is a perfect match for that because Dead Sea Scrolls. So this is how we know the Bible is accurate and that's the basis of our faith. But the Dead Sea Scrolls, these are scrolls that go back thousands of years. And amazingly, all those years of hand translation that scribes are so faithful that as you look at the originals from thousands of years ago, they still match what's being transcribed today. So it is a remarkable opportunity to to bring a president who promoted faith, biblical faith and the evidence of biblical faith both together at the same time. And, man, what a great opportunity to be able to see the Reagan Library and Museum and also see the Dead Sea Scrolls, which I mean, this is they they just don't travel that much anymore because they're so delicate. But this is a great opportunity. 

Rick Green [00:09:38] But we're going to have the marketing director from the Reagan Library talking about what they're doing with the Dead Sea Scrolls and when you can come see them and even goes beyond the scrolls themselves. A lot of cool artifacts as well. Melissa Gilbert will be our special guest when we return. You're listening to the popular show. 

Rick Green [00:11:00] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks so much for staying with us. Melissa Geller is with us from the Reagan Library, which I love. And if you have not been out to California to visit the Reagan Library, you have to go. And now you have, I don't know, a triple reason to go, not only to see the library and the history, but the Dead Sea scrolls. Melissa, this is amazing that you're going to have the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Reagan Library. 

Melissa Geller [00:11:20] Yeah. So, you know, it's an exhibition that tours, but it last toured from about 2014 to 2018. Everything's been on rest since then. They've completely renovated the tour. So even if you saw it back when it toured before, you haven't seen this one. And we're not only the first location to have this new exhibition. We're the only location on the West Coast. So if you're visiting or happen to be anywhere sort of west of the Mississippi, the Reagan Library is the place to come to see this exhibition. 

Rick Green [00:11:47] I love it. And I'm assuming you didn't move out the Air Force One exhibition, that you have to move this in so they get to see that while they're there as well, right? 

Melissa Geller [00:11:55] Yeah. Yeah. So one museum ticket gets you the main Reagan museum is life and times. It gets you the Air Force One Pavilion, which for those who don't know, it is the plane that served seven U.S. presidents who actually gets a tour through it. And then whatever our special exhibition is, which is now the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

Rick Green [00:12:11] That's amazing. Most of our listeners don't know this, but I got a son named Reagan. I got another kid born on Reagan's birthday, February 6th, and I used to have a dog named Dutch. So I'm a major Reagan fan. And I'm just telling you people, if you go to the library, you will get to experience Ronald Reagan's life. It is phenomenal. The handwritten notes from the speeches, the the exhibit where, you know, on how he grew up in Dickson. And I mean, it's just it's incredible. It's so first class. And Melissa, I didn't know this till I was getting ready for our interview. It's the number one visited museum out of all the presidential museums. 

Melissa Geller [00:12:43] Yes. Yes. So out of all the presidential museums in the National Archives system, of which there is 13, we are the largest were also the most visited. We've held that distinction for 20 some odd years. And we're not just the most visited, but we're most the most visited by like 100,000 visitors. So we're very proud of that distinction. 

Rick Green [00:13:03] Well, lots of good reasons to go there. But let's talk Dead Sea Scrolls. What? So what all will you have for the exhibit? What can people expect to see and learn there? 

Melissa Geller [00:13:12] Yes. So there's over 200 artifacts on display for those who don't know. Basically, in 1947, a teenager who was a shepherd of ships and goats was out in the Judean desert overseeing his sheep and goats and a goat sort of straight away. And he started throwing rocks at the cave that the goat had gone into. And when he threw a rock into the cave, he heard a pot break. And so he kind of followed the noise of went to the cave and basically discovered these 2000 year old scrolls. They date back to the time where they basically it's the entire Hebrew Bible, which is also, of course, the Old Testament in the Christian faith. And not just that, but they have found everything from pots and weapons and money. We even have the wood fragments of the Jesus boat, if you know what that is. Basically, in 1986, they found a boat that threw carbon dating. They were able to prove it was used by fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. At the same time, Jesus was a fisherman. And we have those fragments on display and it just goes on and on. It's it's extraordinary. It's a true sort of walk through historical past and a really interesting way to see how some of these religions were formed. 

Rick Green [00:14:25] So this is the 75th year. So this is the anniversary of the discovery of the 2000 year old scrolls. Yes. And a once in a lifetime chance to actually see these things. What is the timeframe that you'll have the exhibit open? 

Melissa Geller [00:14:39] Yes. So we just opened a few days ago. We actually have the exhibit for a while because we thought it was really important to have it long enough people to come and see it. So we have it through basically September 1st of next year. But what's really neat about this exhibition is because these objects are so old, these scrolls can only be seen in the light for three months, a year out of every five years. So we have this exhibition nine months. So every three months, the Israel Antiquities Authority will bring an entire new set of scrolls. So eight scrolls on display at any one given time, 24 original scrolls over the course of the nine months. 

Rick Green [00:15:15] You know, here at WallBuilders, we have the largest private collection of Founding Fathers documents. And so we were into some of that, you know, taking care of these documents that are a few hundred years old. I cannot imagine taking care of documents that are 2000 years old. And as precious as these. Yeah. So this is this is remarkable. I didn't realize that. And so for people listening, man, you know, plan your 20, 25 vacation if you're if you're not close to Simi Valley and can just drive over any time and go see if you're coming in from elsewhere in the country man plan this year to go and see the exhibit and see the entire library. What would you say for the library? You know, you have you guys have so many cool things. You do the debates there often and a lot of different things. What made this so interesting for you, for your to put this much effort into it? 

Melissa Geller [00:15:59] Yes. So we bring in exhibitions typically about twice a year. And when possible, we do try and connect it to Ronald Reagan and his legacy. Ronald Reagan believed so strongly in his faith. He also believed very strongly about supporting Israel. And so when we saw that this exhibition was going to tour, we thought it was the perfect fit. In fact, President Reagan often said that he believed that more problems will be solved in this world. People would just look to the Bible. And in fact, for both two terms as governor of California and two terms as president of United States, he used his mother's Bible to swear in the oath of office. And that Bible is on display in the main Reagan Museum. So you can see that as well. And so, again, just the the idea of bringing in a historically significant exhibition objects that rarely see the light of day. In fact, we have some artifacts that haven't even really been on display in Israel, let alone toward the world. People more people will see it at the Reagan Library than I've ever even seen it in Israel. We just thought it was a very important thing to do, especially in light of what's going on in today's world. And it's almost even more important. You know, there was a time when we didn't know if these items would come out of Israel. There's so much going on there. So the fact that Israel and trusted us with these objects, these priceless artifacts really means a lot to us. And we just hope we can share it with as many people as possible. 

Rick Green [00:17:24] I was thinking the same thing as you were saying that, you know, just in light of everything that's going on in the world, the foundation of of Western civilization and the the principles that that made America such a great nation. You know, Reagan was very clear about that. I mean, one of my favorite quotes from him was, if we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that will lead to an erosion of the American spirit. I mean, I think we've seen that. We've seen that that loss of patriotism that he renewed. I mean, it was one of his big goals when he came in. And the reason for losing that is, is not knowing our foundational principles. And so you're bringing back to life and literally to light the very things that America was was built upon in those biblical principles. And it's just such a great opportunity for people to experience that and get to see that. There's no doubt in my mind President Reagan is looking down on this and smiling and and loving the fact that your timing is perfect. God's timing is perfect. Yeah, you guys are instruments of that, right? In bringing these to light right now when we need to rediscover them. 

Melissa Geller [00:18:26] Yeah. No, that's absolutely right. You know, we've we've been quite fortunate in some of these special exhibitions we've had. Our last big one was about a year ago we had an exhibition called Auschwitz not long ago, not far away, really telling the story of the Holocaust. And that exhibition was open on October 7th, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel. That we have these objects now from the Israel Antiquities Authority. And it shows, you know, you were talking about American history, but it really shows how the world interacted. In fact, one of the objects on display they found in an area called Pilgrims Road during the excavation. And it was basically the road of which everyone traveled to go to the temple for festivals, and they found objects in there that they can tell were purchased or created from the use of things that were happening in Pompeii at the time. So even 2000 years ago, there was cross international travel, there was influence across different nations, different cultures, and you'll see a lot of those things and how they tie into American culture as well. 

Rick Green [00:19:23] I was thinking the timing to, you know, a lot of people have canceled their trips to Israel because the chaos and everything right now. So, yes, you know, you can't go to Israel this year. This next year. You can go to Simi Valley and see a lot of that history. Right. Right here. 

Melissa Geller [00:19:36] And and one of the items on display for the first time, they're actually traveling a real piece is a two ton piece of the Western Wall. It had fallen off the top of the tower wall that surrounded the second temple. This exhibition has traveled before, but it was always a replica of the wall. And we have an actual piece. We allow and encourage visitors to leave notes just as they were at the Wailing Wall in Israel. The exhibition just opened a couple of days ago. I walked through a couple of times. I've seen people praying in there, you know, sort of putting their hand on it and and reflecting. It really brings in the emotion of what you're seeing when you're seeing items like that that that, you know, truly mean something in the state of Israel. 

Rick Green [00:20:15] Well, you talk about a twofer. So you could actually go and see that wall and also see pieces of the Berlin Wall that came down all in one place at the regular place. Melissa, this incredible. I can't wait. All right. I'm going to I'm going to plan my trip. And I don't know. I know I'm speaking in California soon, so I've got to get out there and and and get to see this, really encourage our listeners go, What's the best way for them to online, check things out and plan their trip, that sort of thing? 

Melissa Geller [00:20:43] Yes super super easy Reaganlibrary.com. It's all that it is Reaganlibrary.com You'll see all the exhibitions there There's information on the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition right on that home page You don't need to purchase tickets in advance although we do recommend that you do if you're bought if you're coming on a weekend only because for the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, people are pulsed in so many people per 15 minutes. And so we sell tickets in that manner so that you don't come and wait because we're sold out for a various hour or two. We recommend maybe purchasing online in advance, but again, it's not required and it's all there at Reaganlibrary.com. 

Rick Green [00:21:16] I just learned a museum term pulsed in so you you have a time frame you can go in and look and then and then you're you're pushed out pulse pulse attack and then somebody else the voltage pulse. Yeah and I love it. 

Melissa Geller [00:21:29] It's helps it helps with visitor flows that not everyone but. sure. Or gallery at the same time. 

Rick Green [00:21:34] Sure absolutely. I felt that at museums before, but now I know what the term is. You're pulsed it. Okay. No, that's fantastic. Melissa. God bless you all for what you do. Absolutely love the Reagan Library. Reagan library.com folks. And by the way, get on their email because they are always sending out really cool stuff and they have really cool things. You know, honestly make great Christmas gifts. I, I get a ton of that stuff for my dad still, you know, obviously he's still alive and loves he's one that instilled a love of Reagan in me. So and by the way, just just random trivia here. I was so glad that in the movie they just did about Reagan that they included that printer of Udall and the whole story, because most people today don't know that. And that is still a good read today for the proper role of government and the proper role of the faith community in solving the problems locally. So just a little commercial there for the that printer of, you. 

Melissa Geller [00:22:23] Know, so his favorite book print of Udall, a second favorite book the Bible. So what better tie in. 

Rick Green [00:22:28] Beautiful beautiful Melissa thank you so much. Thanks for all you're doing and look forward to seeing you at the exhibit soon. 

Melissa Geller [00:22:35] Thank you so much. 

Rick Green [00:22:36] Stay with us, folks. We'll be right back with David and Tim Barton. 

Rick Green [00:23:46] Welcome back. Thanks for staying with us here on The WallBuilders Show. Thanks to Melissa Giller for joining us and thanks to the Reagan Library for doing such an important exhibit. And we do encourage you make that trip, man. What what a cool thing to get to go see. I mean, this really is a once in a life opportunity, Tim. 

Tim Barton [00:24:01] Well, guys, I tell you, one of the things that so surprised me about this interview, I mean, maybe already a little bit that you have a presidential library that's that's kind of hosting the exhibit for the Dead Sea Scrolls. It seems really religious for a president, especially given the modern feel. And academia, as we already alluded to before. We had a chance to hear from Melissa. It was just very surprising to me that so often we find ourselves. Having to push back against academia, which likes to pretend like people like Ronald Reagan. Well, they really weren't religious. Well, he really didn't believe in God. He really didn't like the Bible. And they try to hide the actual quotes, the speeches, the writings that are so full of content that if America ever forgets that we're one nation under God, then we'll be a nation gone under. These really profound, pithy thoughts that came from Reagan. Reagan, of course, very famous for writing so many of his own speeches and a brilliant mind in so many ways. But usually we're having to push back and be like, now, wait a second. You're saying this guy didn't believe in God, didn't like the Bible, but here are some quotes from him. And we do this so often with the founding Fathers, with things from history. Rick I was blown away and I've never been to the Reagan Library. I was blown away that somebody from the Reagan Library is acknowledging that Ronald Reagan believed in God, believed in the value of the Bible, promoted God in the Bible. I mean, things that are certainly not being taught is commonplace today. And to have people associated from an academic perspective with Ronald Reagan and and actually teaching some of the true history and then, of course, the fact that if you go there, you can see the Dead Sea Scrolls and so many other details were part of the Jesus boat and so many cool things that are there. But this was just so refreshing listening from the outside as you were talking to Melissa and go, she gets it. She's not trying to whitewashing cover up the faith of somebody. This is so encouraging. He certainly was someone who recognized America's need for God. And guys are going to be honest, I feel like we're getting pretty close to having this this rebirth of that same kind of attitude and spirit in America with President Trump. And we're about out of time. I need to stop. But I was really encouraged to hear Melissa's take on Ronald Reagan. 

Rick Green [00:26:22] Well, and on another program, we have more time. We'll explain why you're so shocked by that, because we deal with all these, you know, not just presidential museums, but these founding fathers homes and National Park Service people. And they typically just try to run from anything about the faith of that person. So this was such a a refreshing and refreshing change. Thanks so much for listening today, folks. You've been listening to The WallBuilders.