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| Cool artwork at the Israel Museum |
Having grown up Christian, the whole experience at the Israel Museum was surreal because we were able to see archeological evidence that corrobates much of the stories we read in the Bible. Not that we ever doubted the stories, but it brought everything about the inhabitants in this region to life from a non-biblical perspective. It was neat to see how the Canaanites and Phillistines lived; the emergence of Israelites; inscriptions pertaining to King David and King Solomon; the Romans and King Herod; and how the Jews have gained and lost Jerusalem many times over centuries.
The museum was laid out in chronological order from: (1) The Dawn of Civilization (2) The Land of Canaan (3) Israel and the Bible (4) Greeks, Romans, Jews (5) Under Roman Rule (6)The Holy Land (7) Muslims and Crusaders. There was a separate temporary exhibition on Hassidic Jews; a scaled replica of the entire Second Temple (538BC to 70AD) and city; and the main attraction - the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book building.
In the "Dawn of Civilization" exhibit, we were gaping at the sheer old-ness of some of the artifacts. Heard of the Neanderthal partial skull called the "Galilee Man" from 250,000 years ago? Ever seen the very first artwork in the world - a human figurine from volcanic material from 233,000 years ago? How does one figure out the mother of all domesticated barley, beans, lentil seeds? Who knows, but they're all here at this museum. Our favorite was the female and dog buried together. Perhaps that'll be Ogi (our dog) and Akiko's fate, whoever goes first! Just kidding.
Artifacts in the "Israel and the Bible" exhibit explained the emergence of the Israelites in 1200BC, the development of the First Temple in Jerusalem and its Period from 1000BC to 586BC ruled initially by King David and King Solomon, until the kingdom's defeat by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.
The Israelite's exile was short because Persia destroyed Babylonia in 539BC and allowed the exiles to return to their Land and rebuild their temple, which became the Second Temple Period from 538BC to 70AD. This is the first time the people were referred as Jews. The Israelites continued to experience religious tolerance even when Persia was defeated by Alexander the Great in 332BC, because Hellenism advocated for freedom on religion. (Below: scaled replica of the Second Temple and city).
We saw a lot of familiar sites and names in the "Greeks, Romans, and Jews" section where King Herod the Great ruled. There was mention of Jesus in this exhibit, and a iron nail through a heel bone on display from someone who was also crucified on the cross.
The "Under Roman Rule" exhibit explained the Jewish Revolt in 70AD with Masada (near the Dead Sea) being the last stronghold before there was complete loss of Judean independence, destruction of the Second Temple, and Jews were banned from coming near the Holy City for 400 years.
All that changed in the 4th century when Jerusalem was under Constantine the Great's rule, and Christianity was declared the official religion, and the Land of Israel became known as the "Holy Land". During this period, many churches and synagogues were built as pilgrims flocked to these holy places.
Islam also emerged from the Arabian peninsula in the 7th century. By 638AD, Muslims had successfully conquered the Land and the first Islamic dynasty, Umayyad Caliphate, established its capital in Damascus.
The "Muslims and Crusaders" exhibit explained how the Islam seat moved from Damascus to Baghdad, and the crusaders briefly restored Jerusalem back to Christian reign for 200 years, until the Ottoman-Turks conquered the area in 1516 and was part of the Ottoman Empire well into the first part of the 20th century.
That's where the exhibit ends. We wanted more information on the 20th century history and development of the State of Israel, but this museum did not go into that. On a side note, a really good museum on the creation of the Israeli State can be found at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri!
A visit to the Israel Museum wouldn't be complete without having seen the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are housed underground in the Shrine of the Book complex with a huge white dome on top, resembling the lids of jars where the scrolls were found.
The 2000 year old scrolls were found at Khirbet Qumran in the Judean Desert.
We weren't allowed to take photos but snuck one in of the Book of Isaiah displayed in the center. This is the only complete scroll and the one on display is a facsimile. Other scrolls surrounding Isaiah were the real deal.