By Xavier Gillet, Bordeaux, France (xavier33300 on flickr) – Musée de Jérusalem – Israël, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35329671

The Shrine of the Book is the home of several exceptional archaeological finds: the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient manuscripts. The dome covers a structure which is two-thirds below the ground, and is reflected in a pool of water that surrounds it.

Across from the white dome is a black basalt wall. According to one interpretation, the colors and shapes of the building are based on the imagery of the Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness; the white dome symbolizes the Sons of Light and the black wall symbolizes the Sons of Darkness.