Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP)

What Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP) does

The Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP) is a non-profit, community, and philanthropic cultural museum located on the UNASP campus in Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, Brazil, operated by Instituto Adventista de Ensino as part of the Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo (UNASP) university system. It is the only museum in Latin America entirely dedicated to biblical archaeology, housing approximately 3,000 pieces (80-90% original artifacts) that span more than 4,500 years — from Bronze Antigo (2600 BC) to the 16th century AD — sourced from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and England. The collection is organized into long-term exhibitions (História da Bíblia and Relíquias do Passado) with nine chronological modules, a Bible Garden with 17 species of trees mentioned in scripture, and is supplemented by digital access via the Acervo Digital platform and an online Tour Virtual.

The museum serves individual visitors and families, public and private schools (including mandatory-free Adventist school visits), university researchers, and children ages 3-12 (via MAB KIDS). Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer ticketing through the Sympla platform (R$40 general admission, R$20 half-price, R$60 guided tour, R$80 MAB KIDS), supported by group bookings of 10+, recurring postgraduate programs in Biblical Archaeology, and merchandise/event revenue. Distribution is hybrid: physical on-site visits, online ticketing, virtual tour, and content marketing through Blog do MAB and the MAB Cultura video series. Academic partnerships with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Andrews University, and the University of São Paulo anchor its research arm, supporting scientific congresses, publications, and excavation programs in Israel.

Name

Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP)

Legal name

Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica do Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo (MAB UNASP)

Website

https://mab.unasp.edu.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP) is a non-profit biblical archaeology museum in Engenheiro Coelho, Brazil, the only one of its kind in Latin America. It serves visitors, schools, researchers, and families with ~3,000 original artifacts spanning 4,500 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Archaeological Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG)

Keywords

• Biblical archaeology museum
• Museum exhibitions
• Educational programs
• Archaeological artifacts
• Digital collection access

Headquarters

HQ city

Engenheiro Coelho

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from physical museum visits with tickets sold at R$40 (full) and R$20 (half price) for general admission, R$60/R$30 for guided tours with mediation, and R$80 per participant for MAB KIDS educational program.
2. Donations and Sponsorship: Private partners and patrons contribute to museum maintenance, collection acquisition, artwork restoration, scholarships, research and publications. Banking details provided for donations.
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from postgraduate courses in Biblical Archaeology and 'A Bíblia Comentada com Rodrigo Silva' course offerings.
4. Merchandise and Products: Revenue from museum shop products available for purchase by visitors and supporters.
5. Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting scientific congresses, events, and visiting programs for researchers and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP) is a non-profit biblical archaeology museum that preserves and exhibits approximately 3,000 original artifacts spanning over 4,500 years of history from biblical lands. The museum offers long-term physical exhibitions, a virtual tour, an online digital collection catalog, guided educational visits for schools and groups, the MAB KIDS children's program, a postgraduate program in Biblical Archaeology, and research services including scientific publications and archaeological excavations in Israel.

Product overview

The Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP) operates as a non-profit university museum offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on biblical archaeology education and preservation. The core offering comprises long-term physical and virtual exhibitions showcasing approximately 3,000 original artifacts spanning over 4,500 years of history. The product portfolio includes: the main museum exhibitions (Exposições de Longa Duração) divided into 'História da Bíblia' and 'Relíquias do Passado' sections; the virtual tour (Tour Virtual) accessible online; the digital collection platform (Acervo Digital) for catalog access; educational programs including the MAB KIDS children's program; research services including a postgraduate program in Biblical Archaeology; the Blog do MAB content platform; and the Amigos do MAB supporter membership program. These offerings work together to fulfill the museum's mission of promoting the study of biblical historicity through preservation, investigation, and communication of archaeological collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exposições de Longa Duração (Long-Term Exhibitions) The museum's primary long-term exhibitions organized into two main sections: 'História da Bíblia' exploring the writing, compilation and translation of the Bible, and 'Relíquias do Passado' presenting nine chronologically organized modules covering the Bronze Age (3300 BC) through the Byzantine Period (330 AD). Features 80-90% original archaeological artifacts.
• Tour Virtual (Virtual Tour) A virtual tour experience accessible online, allowing remote visitors to explore the museum's collections chronologically through Ancient Bronze (3300-1900 BC), Middle Bronze (1900-1550 BC), Iron Age (1200-539 BC), and Persian Period (539-350 BC) sections.
• Acervo Digital (Digital Collection) An online digital catalog accessible to the public, featuring archaeological objects, numismatic items, and rare works with detailed descriptions including registration numbers, dates, origins, materials, dimensions, and conservation status. Includes approximately 3,000 items spanning over 4,500 years.
• Programa Educativo (Educational Program) Educational programs including guided visits by educators, MAB KIDS for children ages 3-12 featuring immersive biblical-era experiences, and educational actions for schools, teachers and students. Includes guided tours by historians, archaeologists, or theology scholars.
• MAB KIDS A specialized children's program for groups of 10 children aged 3-12, featuring guided visits with playful language about biblical-era customs and archaeological processes, priced at R$80.00 per participant with one free accompanying adult.
• Pesquisa e Centro de Referência (Research and Reference Center) Research services including the postgraduate program in Biblical Archaeology, archaeological excavation programs in Israel, scientific congresses and publications, with partnerships with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Andrews University, and University of São Paulo.
• Pós-graduação em Arqueologia Bíblica (Postgraduate Program in Biblical Archaeology) Graduate program in Biblical Archaeology offered by the museum in partnership with academic institutions through UNASP educational channels.
• Amigos do MAB (Friends of MAB Supporter Program) A supporter program inviting enthusiasts to support the museum through social media engagement, visits, events, store purchases, graduate programs, and the 'A Bíblia Comentada com Rodrigo Silva' course.
• Curso A Bíblia Comentada com Rodrigo Silva An educational course presented by Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Silva, offered through the museum's educational channels to support biblical study and interpretation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 artifacts help visitors understand the world that produced the Bible

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidade Hebraica de Jerusalém (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration in biblical archaeology. Part of MAB's mission to promote scientific research and exchange in the field of biblical archaeology.
• Universidade Andrews (Andrews University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration and scholarly exchange in biblical archaeology and related sciences.
• Universidade de São Paulo (USP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership with Brazilian university for collaborative studies in archaeology and biblical sciences.
• Instituto Adventista de EnsinocoreOthersParent educational institution (IEAD) - the non-profit community and charitable organization that houses the museum at UNASP campus. Provides institutional framework, facilities, and academic integration.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Israel Museum: National museum of Israel with major archaeological wing housing Dead Sea Scrolls and extensive Near Eastern biblical-era artifacts. Comparable in biblical archaeology focus and collection subject matter, though at national-museum scale.
• Museum of the Bible: Washington DC-based museum focused on the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible, featuring extensive archaeological collections. Comparable in thematic focus (biblical history/archaeology) and educational programming model, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem: Jerusalem-based museum dedicated to the archaeology, history, and cultures of the ancient biblical world. Directly comparable to MAB as a focused biblical archaeology museum, though larger and located in the source region for the artifacts.

Broad incumbents

• British Museum: Global broad-scope museum holding major Near Eastern and biblical-era collections. Comparable in that it houses biblical archaeology materials, though as part of a much wider portfolio rather than as a focused biblical institution.

Regional players

• Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo: São Paulo museum focused on religious art and artifacts. Comparable as a Brazilian regional cultural institution with a religious/heritage thematic focus, though oriented to art rather than archaeological objects.
• Museu Nacional (UFRJ): Brazil's largest natural history and anthropology museum in Rio de Janeiro. Comparable as a major Brazilian museum institution with significant archaeological holdings, though broader in scope than MAB's biblical focus.
• MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo): Leading Brazilian cultural institution in São Paulo. Comparable as a flagship cultural venue in the same country, though focused on art rather than archaeology; useful benchmark for museum operating model and Brazilian cultural audience.

Others

• Universidade Hebraica de Jerusalém: Academic research partner of MAB. Comparable not as a competitor but as a collaboration counterpart in biblical archaeology research; relevant peer for understanding MAB's research positioning and capability sourcing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mabunasp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museu de Arqueologia Bíblica (MAB/UNASP)