ISRAEL: BIBLICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CONTEMPORARY TREASURES DISPLAYED AT THE NEW ISRAEL MUSEUM

Record ID: 399464

  • Title: ISRAEL: BIBLICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CONTEMPORARY TREASURES DISPLAYED AT THE NEW ISRAEL MUSEUM
  • Date: 10th May 1965
  • Summary: 1. GV.PAN...FROM MUSEUM BUILDINGS TO...SHRINE OF BOOK 0.13 2. LV.PAN OVER...SHRINE OF THE BOOK 0.22 3. GV.VISITORS ARRIVING AT MUSEUM 0.27 4. SV.MAILLOL'S "LIBERTY IN CHAINS" 0.30 5. CU.DITTO 0.33 6. CU.SHOWING HACKLED HANDS 0.35 7. SV.VISITORS LOOK AT ABOVE STATUE 0.38 8. SV.ANOTHER STATUE 0.41 9. SV ANOTHER D
  • Embargoed: 25th May 1965 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVA7H0F28LBS72X9JHSH1JYKHHNK
  • Story Text: THE ISRAELI SECTOR OF JERUSALEM EMERGES TOMORROW (TUESDAY) AS A WORLD ART CENTRE WITH THE OPENING OF THE ISRAELI MUSEUM. EXHIBITS COVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY, RANGING FROM ANCIENT TO BIBLICAL AND TO CONTEMPORARY TIMES.

    THE MUSEUM IS A CLUSTER OF INTER-CONNECTED BUILDINGS LYING IN THE VALLEY OF THE CROSS, WITH THE HILLS OF JUDEA FORMING AN IMPRESSIVE BACKDROP. THE SITE IS DOMINATED BY THE DOME OF THE SHRINE OF THE BOOK, SYMBOLISING THE EMERGENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AFTER CENTURIES OF DORMANCY.

    SURROUNDING IT IS THE BILLY ROSE ART GARDEN, CONTAINING A FOREST OF MODERN SCULPTURE GIVEN BY THE AMERICAN PHILANTHROPIST. AMONG THE EXHIBITS IS LIBERTY IN CHAINS, A WORK BY THE FRENCH SCULPTOR, MAILLOL. THERE ARE ALSO WORKS BY MAILLOL'S COLLEAGUE, RODIN, AND THE JAPANESE MASTER, TESHIGAHARA.

    THE SUBTERRANEAN SHRINE OF THE BOOK WILL NOT BE OPENED UNTIL MAY 20. IT CONTAINS DOCUMENTS AND TESTAMENTS DATING FROM 2,000 YEARS AGO. THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS , WHICH WERE FOUND BY BEDOUIN SHEPHERDS IN 1947, ARE MOUNTED ON A 4 DRUM BENEATH THE HUGE POINTED DOME.

    SOME 43 MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAVE LENT PRICELESS WORKS OF ART FOR THE OPENING, INCLUDING PAINTINGS BY FRENCH MASTERS, DEPICTING BIBLICAL SCENES.

    PREHISTORIC DOMES ARE FEATURED, TOGETHER WITH ANCIENT TOOLS MADE FROM ANIMAL TUSKS DURING THE TIME OF THE EARLY OLD TESTAMENT (4000-2500 BC). FROM THE SAME AGE ARE POTTERY EXHIBITS AND STONES THAT ONCE SURROUNDED A HEBREW TEMPLE.

    ROMAN RELICS ARE ALSO FEATURED. SO, TOO, IS A DIVERSITY OF CANDELABRA OF MANY ERAS, BOTH ANCIENT AND MODERN. THE ONLY MATERIAL EVIDENCE, BESIDES THE SCRIPTURES, OF THE EXISTENCE OF PONTIUS PILATE IS SHOWN ON AN INSCRIBED STONE.

    THE MAN BEHIND THE NEW MUSEUM IS THE FORMER HEAD OF THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE, MR.THEODORE KOLLECK. HIS GUIDING IDEA WAS TO GIVE GREATER NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS TO THE MANY WHO HAVE EMIGRATED TO ISRAEL BY A LIVING PROOF OF THE COMMON HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF THE DISPERSED JEWS.
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