Page 33 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition
P. 33
Storage jar with incised inscription: […] Ish-Baal son
of Beda.Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Photo: Tal Rogovsky
On left: Model Shrine. A unique stone model shrine
whose façade draws detailed parallels to the Temple
of Solomon in Jerusalem. Courtesy of the Israel
Antiquities Authority. Photo:Gabi Laron
seasons of excavations, there have been a years of the Israelite and Judean monarchies. this enigmatic site on the map. Let the Bible
plethora of incredible and curious finds that This was also the era that saw the Israelites Lands Museum Jerusalem know what you
have captured the world’s attention: evidence living in the shadow of the Philistines, their think – visit the exhibition and see if you can
that transports us back in time to the 10th mighty neighbor to the west. The Israelite answer the most intriguing question of all: Did
century BCE, the time of King David. Among ‘obsession’ with the Philistines and their King David build this Judean border city in the
the finds unearthed are a unique stone model attempts to remove the Philistine ‘yoke,’ while Elah Valley?
shrine whose façade draws detailed parallels at the same time creating their own political
to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem; two and cultural identity, was the source of many In the Valley of David and Goliath will open in
ancient inscriptions with one containing the clashes between the two. September 2016 at the Bible Lands Museum
name Ish-Baal; earliest known evidence of Jerusalem. The artifacts on display were all
a fortified city with casemate walls; not one, "The exhibition In the Valley of David and excavated in Israel and are on loan from the
but two gates and much more. These and Goliath takes you on a journey back in time to Israel Antiquities Authority. The exhibition was
other finds together with the city’s location the Elah Valley and the period when Khirbet curated by Dr. Filip Vukosavović, Oree Meiri
on the border between Judah and Philistia Qeiyafa was a thriving city," said Amanda and Yehuda Kaplan.
and its scientifically verified dating to the Weiss, Director of the Bible Lands Museum
end of 11th-early 10th century BCE give rise Jerusalem. "We have reconstructed, on The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem (BLMJ),
many powerful questions such as who built a smaller scale, the most representative Israel's largest and most important museum
the city and for what purpose, who were its sections of the city as it stood in circa of ancient history and archaeology, exhibits
inhabitants, why did it have two gates – one 1,000 BCE, during the time of King David. the archaeology and art of the Ancient Near
of which faced Philistia and the other Judah. The exhibition will display the most exciting East, the lands of the Bible. The museum,
Why was the city abandoned shortly after it archaeological finds unearthed during the located in the heart of Jerusalem's Museum
was inhabited, never to be resettled again excavations, the vast majority of which will Row, adjacent to the Knesset and the Israeli
and what was the city’s ancient name –could be on display for the first time. The exhibition Parliament, has earned international acclaim
it have possibly been the biblical Sha'araim is enhanced with relevant biblical quotes as a universal center for the understanding
(literally "two gates" in Hebrew) mentioned throughout, as no original text compares to and appreciation of the history of this region
in 1 Samuel 17 where we read the detailed the biblical account of the David and Goliath through its innovative exhibitions, cultural and
account of the battle between David and saga – a progenitor of all great narratives, educational programming. The magnificent
Goliath? where the meek overpower the mighty Main Exhibition, encompassing 21 galleries
and true leadership and trust in goodness and displaying approximately 4,000 artifacts,
Answers to these and other questions shed triumphs over brute strength and evil." unveils the development of civilization from
new light on our understanding of this pivotal an historical perspective. The Museum's
chapter in early Israelite history in the Land Seeing the archaeological evidence up close priceless collection of antiquities brings to life
of Israel, and particularly vis-à-vis the biblical and understanding the geo-political realities the stories of the Bible, revealing the daily life
account. This was a transition time between of the day, the story of David and Goliath and spiritual world of the civilizations of our
the ‘period of the Judges’ and the formative plays a subtle and yet dramatic role in placing ancestors and their contemporaries.
D I S C O V E R I S R A E L 33
