The Museum of Israel was founded in 1965 . as a national one and it is located on a hill in the Givat Ram district . Among the unique objects in its exposition are carvings that are considered the oldest in the world , the interior of the synagogue 1736 g . from Suriname, the necklaces worn by the Jewish bride in Yemen, the mosaic Islamic prayer niche from Persia of the 17th century and the nail that was used for the crucifixion in the time of Christ . Also in the museum there is a building in the form of urns - Sanctuary of the Book, where artifacts from Masada and C are collected the Dead Sea turns . In total there are approximately half a million exhibits in the museum's funds, including archaeological finds, ethnographic and anthropological artifacts, as well as art objects of Israel and other countries .
The museum was founded in 1965 . when the Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Colek, set out to create one of the best archaeological and art museums in the world . Pervonach His exposition was housed in several stone buildings designed by the architect Alfred Mansfield, a native of Russia . In 2010 . the renovation company costing $ 100 million was completed and it doubled the area of the exhibition spaces . Wings of archeology, exquisite arts and Jewish art and life were completely rebuilt . Now the museum's area is about 50 thousand . sq m . m, so the museum easily accepts about 800 thousand . visitors per year .
In the wing archeology is told about the history of the ancient Land of Israel, which It served as a home for people of all faiths and cultures . The exposition is organized chronologically, from prehistoric times to the Ottoman Empire - only 7 "chapters", which reflect historical events, cultural achievements and technological breakthroughs . Here you can see the thematically grouped expositions of the ancient samples of letters, glass objects and coins . Treasures of close cultures demonstrate the influence exerted on Israel by neighbors - Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, Italy and the Islamic world . Among the most valuable ponatov collection - the entry "Land of David" of the 9th century, the stele of Heliodorus (178 g . to . e .), the royal baths of Herod (1st century BC . e .) and t . N .
The Temple of the Book is opened in the pavilion of the specific form of the inverted funnel, and here are the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest manuscript in the world, and very rare manuscripts of the early Middle Ages . Scrolls were discovered in 1947-1956 . in 11 caves in the vicinity of Wadi Qumran . Hungarian emigrant and philanthropist David Samuel Gottesman redeemed the scrolls as gift to the State of Israel, and specially for their storage a separate pavilion was built in 1965 . In the interior of the pavilion conditions were restored in which scrolls were found . Here is also a permanent exhibition dedicated to their location, Qumran . A herself the design is designed to resemble a vessel in which scrolls lay . Since the latter are too fragile to exhibit them for inspection constantly, a peculiar rotation system is used: the scroll is exposed for 3-6 months, and then it is placed in a special repository where the scroll is "rest hayet ». Another interesting exhibit that can be seen here is the Code of Aleppo of the 10th century, it is considered the oldest complete Hebrew Bible .
Near the Temple of the Book one can see the model of the Second Temple, which recreates the architecture and layout of the city as it was before the destruction by the Romans in 66. Originally built on the territory of the Jerusalem hotel "Holyland" model, which includes a replica of the temple of Herod, today is permanently on the campus of the museum, occupying 20 acres of square.
The Wing of Fine Arts, bearing the names of Edmond and Lily Safra, created for the exhibition is extensive museum collections that have absorbed the art for many centuries of development of Western and non-Western cultures . Among his collections are collections of European, modern and new, Israeli, African, oceanic, American and Asian art; photographs, prints, drawings, design and architectural subjects .Special installations were created to demonstrate integrated exhibitions of mixed topics .In the new wing there is the first gallery of Israeli art, the gallery of Muslim art is also very large and significant, and the floor dedicated to the contemporary art of Islamic countries takes 7, 2 thousand . kv . m . Among the most classical European works, see the paintings of Rembrandt, Rubens, Chagall, Kamil Pizarro .
Wing of the young was opened in 1966, and here on a vast territory constantly conduct educational programs and educational activities, including workshops for adults and children. Also at the museum the Garden of Arts is opened, where modern and abstract sculptures are exhibited. In addition to the institutions on its own territory, the Israel Museum operates the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, opened in 1938, and the House of Tiho, where young Israeli artists are exhibited.
Practical information
Address: 11 Ruppin Boulevard, Hakyria.
Get to the museum You can take buses Nos. 7, 9, 14, 35 and 66, as well as by bus number 100 of the Park & Ride service
Work time: Saturday-Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and also public holidays: 10:00 - 17:00, Tuesday: 16:00 - 21:00, Friday and the eve of the holidays: 10:00 - 14:00.
Admission: for adults: 50 NIS (repeated visit within three months - 25 NIS), for students: 37 NIS, for children 5-17 years: 25 NIS (December 2014). Free admission for children under 17 on Tuesdays and Saturdays.