Museums Archives - Page 97 of 100

Crusader Fresco from Gethsemane Restored

This large 12th-century fresco discovered ten years ago near the Garden of Gethsemane goes on display next month in the Israel Museum. From the Israel Antiquities Authority:

An enormous impressive wall painting (fresco) that was discovered in excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Monastery of Miriam in the Gethsemane courtyard in Jerusalem will be displayed for the first time when the renewed Israel Museum opens its doors to the public on July 26, 2010.
[…]
According to Seligman, the subject of this wall painting – only the bottom part of which survived and which originally rose to a height of about nine meters – is apparently a scene of deésis (meaning supplication in Greek). This is a known iconographic formula whereby Mary and John the Baptist beseech Jesus for forgiveness, for the sake of humanity. Only the bottom parts of the figures are visible in the main picture: Jesus sitting in the center, with Mary to his right and John the Baptist to his left. Two other pairs of legs, probably those of angels, can be seen next to Mary and John. In the middle of the painting are colorful floral tendrils on either side of which is a Latin inscription of a saying by Saint Augustine: “Who injures the name of an absent friend, may not at this table as guest attend.” We can conclude from this that the painting adorned the wall of a dining room – the refectorium – in the monastery. The prohibition to gossip is surprising since the monks there were Benedictines who refrained from unnecessary conversation. According to the researchers, the maxim was apparently intended for visitors who arrived at the monastery and were invited to dine there.
According to Nagar, “This is one of the most important paintings that have been preserved from the Crusader period in Israel. The painting is the largest to come out of an archaeological excavation in the country and the treatment the painting underwent in the laboratories of the Israel Antiquities Authority was, from a conservation standpoint, among the most complicated ever done here. This wall painting is special because of its size and quality. It measures 9 meters long and 2.7 m high, and is extremely rare because very few wall paintings have survived from the Crusader churches that were built in Jerusalem during the Crusader period. The excellent quality of the painting was in all likelihood the workmanship of master artists and the vibrant colors reflect the importance of the abbey in the twelfth century, which was under the patronage of the Crusader queen Melisende.”

Five high-resolution images are available here (zip file).

UPDATE (6/30): The Jerusalem Post has the story.

Tagged Jerusalem, Museums

Western Wall Museum Controversy

Haaretz reported on this meeting yesterday, but as of now I haven’t seen an update on the ruling.

Jerusalem’s district planning council was on Sunday set to rule on a controversial museum project that archaeologists claim would destroy valuable ancient structures beneath the Old City.
The new museum is planned for the concourse beside the Western Wall of the Temple Mount – Judaism’s holiest site.
But a group of archaeologists who have petitioned the council says the new building, designed by architect Ada Karmi, would damage an ancient Roman road, flanked by rare and elaborate columns, that runs beneath the planned construction.
They say that if Jewish relics were under threat, the project would never have been allowed.
“It is impossible to exaggerate the cultural damage and the harm to antiquities that would result if the road is encased by the new building’s foundation pillars,” the archaeologists wrote in a petition to the planning council.

Whenever someone says “it is impossible to exaggerate,” it’s a dead give-away that they are exaggerating. Unfortunately the article does not provide the names of any of the archaeologists who signed the petition.

The full story is here.

Excavations on the west side of the Western Wall prayer plaza, site of planned museum

Tagged Excavations, Jerusalem, Museums

Israel Museum To Open July 26

Two months from today, the $100 million renovation of the Israel Museum is slated to be completed and the doors of the new galleries opened to the public. From Art Daily:

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, inaugurates its renewed 20-acre campus, featuring new galleries, orientation facilities, and public spaces, on July 26, 2010. The multi-year expansion and renewal project was designed to enhance visitor experience of the Museum’s art, archeology, architecture, and surrounding landscape, in complement to the original architecture and design of the campus. Led by James Carpenter Design Associates of New York and Efrat-Kowalsky Architects of Tel Aviv, the $100-million project also includes the comprehensive renovation and reconfiguration of the Museum’s three collection wings and the reinstallation of its outstanding encyclopedic collections. […] The Israel Museum has seen tremendous growth since the 1965 opening of its original landmark campus, designed by Alfred Mansfeld and Dora Gad as a modernist reference to Jerusalem’s Mediterranean hilltop villages. The Museum’s architectural footprint has increased ten-fold since its opening, and its collections have grown significantly throughout its history, particularly in the past ten years. The project, which broke ground in June 2007, encompasses 80,000 square feet of new construction and 200,000 square feet of renovated and expanded gallery space within the Museum’s existing 500,000-square-foot architectural envelope. The $100-million capital campaign supporting the Museum’s campus renewal, completed in December 2009, is the largest collective philanthropic initiative ever undertaken for a single cultural institution in the State of Israel. The Museum is also nearing completion of an endowment campaign, and has raised nearly $60 million toward its $75-million goal, which will bring the institutional endowment to a total of $150 million, comprising the largest endowment for any cultural institution in the country.

Tomorrow, May 27, the museum will honor International Museum Day, and admission to the museum is free to individuals. Details (in Hebrew) are here.

Tagged Jerusalem, Museums

National Bible Museum Update

A couple of years ago I noted plans to build a National Bible Museum, in the Dallas area. I have just received a press release on some new items in the collection and the continued search for a location.

Hobby Lobby adds rare Bible to its collection of Biblical books and manuscripts Company assisting National Bible Museum with site selection and development plans OKLAHOMA CITY – Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., a privately held retail chain of more than 435 arts and crafts stores, has acquired one of the earliest-known near-complete Bibles in the world. The so-called Codex Climaci Rescriptus includes the only surviving New Testament texts in Jesus’ household language, Palestinian Aramaic. The company made the acquisition from Westminster College at Cambridge University for an undisclosed amount. Hobby Lobby also recently purchased the earliest known scripture in English, dated 1341, Richard Rolle’s translation and commentary on the Book of Psalms, which predates Wycliffe’s translation by nearly half a century. Hobby Lobby is collecting a vast array of ancient antiquities, biblical papyri, Hebrew scrolls and Judaica, important medieval manuscripts and a comprehensive assortment of Bibles and rare books. Their collection includes many of the earliest printed Bibles, the most significant Protestant and non-Protestant Bibles and editions of the Jewish Tanach or Hebrew Bible, a full range of English, American, and missionary Bibles and other unique historical records. As part of its efforts to preserve biblical history, Hobby Lobby is assisting the National Bible Museum, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Scott Carroll, Ph.D., executive director; D. Jonathan Shipman, chief executive officer; and Daniel Centurione, who are developing a non-sectarian museum to house collections of historical biblical significance. “We are committed to preserving the history of our faith and excited about the opportunity to share our collection with others through the development of the National Bible Museum,” said Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby. “Our family has participated in ministry efforts worldwide and has had the opportunity to visit places and see things that are of great historical and Biblical significance. We feel it is important to give others the opportunity to experience Biblical history without traveling around the world, and the museum will bring this history together in one location.” Currently, leaders of Hobby Lobby and the National Bible Museum are evaluating sites for the museum. “Our goal is to acquire a site in a major metropolitan area that will allow visitors from around the world to enjoy the collections housed in the museum and participate in special educational programs,” Green said. “We are looking for at least 300,000 square feet of space and ample parking and have been evaluating various opportunities, including several in the Dallas area.” Carroll, Shipman and Centurione have been working on the project for several years and have recently been assisting Hobby Lobby in building its collection. “After several years of planning, we expect to bring the National Bible Museum to fruition, thanks to the generous support of Hobby Lobby and the Green family, along with others who have pledged their support,” said Carroll, who is a specialist on the history of the Bible and ancient biblical manuscripts. “Our mission is twofold. First, we want to tell the story of the composition, transmission and preservation of the most popular, the most prohibited and the most influential book in history in an engaging and lively way that will impact and inspire people of all ages and faiths. Second, we want to provide a resource for advanced academic studies, with educational programs for public schools, universities and seminaries.” About Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Based in Oklahoma City, Hobby Lobby and its affiliates, including Mardel, Hemispheres and Crafts, Etc!, employ more than 18,000 individuals nationwide. Hobby Lobby was founded by David Green in 1972. The company has grown from one 700 square-foot store to more than 435 locations in 35 states. Hobby Lobby carries no long-term debt, is open only 66 hours per week and is closed on Sundays. For more information, visit www.hobbylobby.com.

Tagged Museums

Weekend Roundup

The “Jesus Trail” is the subject of an article in last month’s issue of Christianity Today. The author and his photographer son (the pictures in the print magazine are great) walked the trail and talked politics and religion with the people they encountered. The “Jesus Trail” runs from Nazareth to Capernaum.

Photographs of Jerusalem in the early 1900s from the collection of Hannah and Efaim Degani are described and displayed in this YnetNews article.

The wife of the founder of the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem is profiled in this Jerusalem Post article. Batya Borowski reflects on the museum, her husband, and her early years in Mandatory Palestine.

Israel is minting gold 20 NIS coins depicting the symbol of Jerusalem. The one-ounce coins are for sale for approximately $1,467.

Tagged Galilee, Jerusalem, Museums, Weekend Roundup

Weekend Roundup

Where are all the biblical texts between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Aleppo Codex (10th century)?

James Charlesworth has dubbed this “The Period of Great Silence.” Recently, however, scholars identified that two fragments, located oceans apart, belong to a single text of Exodus 15 from the 6th-8th centuries. The fascinating story is featured in this week’s Jerusalem Post Magazine.

The Economist has an article on polynomial texture mapping, which allows scientists to study ancient objects by a careful use of photography and lighting from different angles. The result is that you can see features not otherwise observable. I’ve seen it in action and it is phenomenal.

Leon Mauldin has started a new blog featuring photos from his recent Turkey and Greece trip.

Criticism of Jerusalem archaeologists is not new, but at least this Reuters article has interviewed both sides.

A rocket hit the archaeological site of Ur in Iraq this week.

There’s a half-price sale now for John Beck, The Land of Milk and Honey: An Introduction to the Geography of Israel, 2006 ($21 at Amazon, now $10 from the publisher). I haven’t read the book, but you can see a 6-page pdf sample at the website.

A couple of good Zondervan resources are now 50% off until April 15. The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament is available for $125 and the Zondervan
Encyclopedia of the Bible is for sale for $140. You must use source code 980683 for each. Shipping is free. (UPDATE: At the moment, Amazon’s price on the Encyclopedia is $138 with shipping. My guess is that won’t last. You can track Amazon’s price here.)

HT: Joe Lauer

Tagged Museums, New Exhibits, Resources