This post lists detailed suggestions and information about Tisha b’Av related artifacts and exhibitions in the Israel Museum and the Bible Lands Museum. Both are open on Tisha b'Av 2024/5784.
By Nachliel Selavan “The Museum Guy”.
Whether you want to prepare for Tisha b’Av, visit the museum during Tisha b’Av, or go after, this guide will give you a comprehensive list of things to see. I will also spell out if this is relevant to the First Temple Destruction, Second Temple Destruction, Bar Kokhva Revolt, or anything supplementary. I will also include some videos that can be used to enhance your experience. Some videos can be watched in the museum (be mindful of other visitors, bring headphones), or as preparation or summary. Others are options of connecting through some virtual tours I’ve done of museums worldwide.
Caution: The Megalim Institute videos are excellent, well-animated, with options in English and Hebrew. In some of their videos they are very descriptive of the horrors that took place (e.g. selling into slavery as gladiators, or prostitution, bloody scenes, etc). It may be inappropriate for younger kids. While this is just a few of them, I urge parents to screen the videos first and see if they are appropriate for their kids.
Before you go…
I recommend reading this at leisure, at home, before you get to the museum, so you can plan your visit.
As a professional museum guide and specialist in museum education, especially with kids, I recommend planning your trip and not just wandering in the museum. When you come to the museum, grab a map, and plan your trip. A museum can be an exciting place, if well prepared, and can also be deterring or boring for kids, and this can make your trip less than enjoyable. If you have any specific questions, please reach out.
Ready? Let’s go!
The Israel Museum
The Israel Museum has three departments that are most relevant to the topic of Tisha b’Av, as well as a few gems scattered throughout the museum.
The museum is open on Tisha b’Av.
Model and Shrine of the Book
These are self-explanatory. Grab a map when you enter the museum. Go first to the model. Outside the large white dome, there is a plaque with a cross-section of the entire complex. Notice the contrast between the black wall and the white shrine. Did you know that the black wall used to have fire on top? That was to contrast the water on the dome. But it was discontinued for safety reasons.
You can look at the model from the balcony, and then take the stairs behind the black wall down to the Shrine, or you can take the stairs near the model. There is another path from there to the Shrine, through the auditorium.
Archaeology Wing
The Archaeology Wing is in the main gallery entrance, on the second floor. The main structure of the department is a chronological journey, starting from pre-history all the way through the late Muslim period. Most of the artifacts on this trail are from Israel.
There is also a central hallway called Neighboring Cultures. This includes artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome. There are entry points connecting it to the main trail.
There is also a room for temporary exhibitions, currently exhibiting Lighting the Way. There is a permanent exhibition about glass, on the left of the trail. There is one artifact we will highlight there.
First Temple
The museum map lists two areas relevant to First Temple, and that’s where you’ll find the items I will advise. Israel and the Bible, and Early Hebrew Writing (small round room).
Neighboring Cultures
Before you take that right turn into Israel and the Bible, notice the stela of King Tiglath Pileser III, the one responsible for reporting the 10th tribes. The story this stela tells is parallel to the one about King Nahum ben Gadi, third to last king of Israel, who paid tribute to Assyria. Read it here.
Israel and the Bible
You can get here by taking the second right turn in Neighboring Cultures, near the statue of the Assyrian king, or follow the chronological route. Focus will be The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and their respective destruction by Assyria and Babylon.
Look out for the following two thing in the niche, that focuses on royal administration.
Bullae (seal impressions) of administrators from the Kingdom of Judah. To the left. Some of the names include people who were instrumental in the story of the destruction: Gemaryahu ben Shafan, Yehukhal ben Selemyahu, etc. See videos below.
The Samaria Ivories. To the right. The ivories represent power and prestige, and these ivories were found in the destroyed palace of Shomron, Israel’s capital. Look for the burning marks on some of them. Read more
Relevant to 11th century lamentation about the destruction of Israel and Judah: “Shomron Kol Titen”. Did you notice the name Tiglath Pileser? Read more about it HERE.
You will find more bullae in the next room (ancient hebrew alphabet).
Relevant videos:
The small round room about the Early Hebrew Alphabet focuses on writing and administration during the First Temple period. Look out for:
Bullae and seals. Examples of royal administration. You will also find very rare clay seals with string, and papyrus, which demonstrate how letters were written.
Lachish Letter IV: In Jeremiah 34:7 the cities of Lachish and Azekah are mentioned as the last fortified cities to fall, before Jerusalem. According to normative understanding, this letter is a message written by a soldier to his commander, and he talks about guarding the beacons of Lachish, while he cannot see Azekah. This is a good place to discuss the purpose of beacons, and how they were used as signals of the new month in the Second Temple period.
Relevant video:
Second Temple and Beyond
Continue in the archaeological wing. You will find a display of Herodian art, such as murals from and his tomb from Herodium. You will also see remnants from the Temple. This should complement the Second Temple model of Jerusalem. Looks for:
The bet ha’Tekiya stone. A ledge from the south-western corner of the temple that was inscribed with the Hebrew לבית התקיעה להב(כ)?. This is cool because you can read it! And it relates to the daily activities in the Temple.
Coffin lid of the Kohen Gadol (high priest). Also, beautiful calligraphy. Contrast with the ossuary (small coffin for bones) to the right, which has such bad writing, one word is misspelled.
Small collection of silver coins. Some of the coins are silver shekels from the Great Revolt (see videos below).
Theodotos Inscription. What did people do in the synagogue before the destruction? The earliest inscription ever found, from a synagogue in Jerusalem, is on the corner further along the room as you go towards the Roman exhibition. Read what it says its purpose was.
Relevant videos:
Under the Roman Boot -The rule of Roman procurators in Judea
Fighting Words- the Debate that Triggered Civil war in Jerusalem in the Great Revolt against Rome
Hatred among Brothers- The Social Divisions that led to the Destruction of the Second Temple
Culture Clash -Coins from the first Jewish Revolt against Rome
The Destruction
Continue to the galleries about the destruction. There is lots to see, and some coins and artifacts, as well as Hadian’s statue, are either not on display or elsewhere.
Look for:
Masada: a small exhibit of artifacts found on Masada. Notice the rare “year 5” silver shekel. This is an extremely rare coin, because the revolt was suppressed shortly after these coins began minting, and there are very few in existence. They are very expensive!
The Arch of Titus and the Colosseum. Notice the image of the Arch of Titus, and below it several rare coins. There is another room downstairs with more coins, but these are gold Judea Capta coins. Downstairs are silver ones. Notice the colosseum coin. The Arch, the Colosseum and the Judea Capta coins were part of Roman propaganda, which was intended to humiliate the Jews and also celebrate the success of the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Menorah and the Trumpets. Look at the image of the Arch of Titus. Everyone notices the Menorah, but did you notice the showbread table and the silver trumpets? Related to the Bet ha’Tekiya stone.
Milestone with the name Vespasian. The commander of the 10th Legion (Legio X Fretensis), who began the siege on Jerusalem and left to assume the throne, late sending his son, Titus, to complete the job.
Emblem of the 10th Legion. Alongside armor and weapons from the Roman army, you will find many items stamped with the seal of the 10th legion. Notice what animal represents this legion? (the wild boar, or the pig) How does that connect to our view of Rome, at the time?
Bar Kokhba Revolt. While Hadrian’s statue is upstairs in a special exhibition, and several related artifacts have been temporarily moved, you will find plenty of things related to the revolt. Including treasures from the caves, coins and weapons, and more. To the left.
Hadrian’s Victory Arch. Yes, Hadrian built an arch to celebrate the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt. What remains from it is on the far-left corner of the room.
Relevant videos:
Aftermath of the destruction
Continue to the balcony, and go down the stairs to the Byzantine era. This is the post-Bar Kokhba era, when Jews were forbidden to live near Jerusalem, and were persecuted later by the Byzantine Empire (Romans who adopted Christianity). Look for:
Symbols of Judaism: Alongside the Menorah, we find three other symbols in synagogues and decorating items used in daily life. Try to identify them, and discuss why those symbols? Why use them in that way?
Temporary Exhibition: When you enter or leave archaeology, look for Lighting the Way. It’s on the entrance to archaeology from the main gallery entrance, you can’t miss it. Examine how artifacts with these Jewish symbols were used in sacred spaced. This can hint at their importance in those time.
What images and stories are found on mosaic floors?
Coins in Context. Under the stairs is a small round room about coins. It features some of the oldest coins in the world, as well as coins relevant to the destruction. It also shows how the State of Israel repurposed the Roman coins about our destruction, in a positive way.
Glass and Weddings
On your way in or out of Archaeology, there is a room with glass. Walk straight and to the left corner, and there is a small glass jar that was shattered during the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. It was made they renowned Roman glass maker Ennion. The great place to talk about the custom of breaking the glass. Discuss why glass? What was the desired effect of breaking glass at a wedding, based on the high value of glass at the time?
Jewish Art and Life
Head back out to the main gallery entrance, and find the entrance to Jewish Art and Life. This section of the museum has some new exhibits, and a few areas that are sadly closed, temporarily. In this room you will find: The cycle of life, Illuminated manuscripts (may be closed), the cycle of the Jewish year, synagogues, traditional Jewish clothes.
The first thing you’ll see is the cycle of life: Birth-Marriage-Death.
Look for: Marriage customs related to the destruction. There is a unique southern-German custom to throw glass onto this stone. Study it, see what the letters on it mean.
Continue, and you will find that the main galleries are split into two: the righthand side is ancient synagogues, Torah scrolls, and related artifacts. On the lefthand side is the Jewish year, beginning with Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot…through Chanukkah.
Look for:
Yom haSho’ah – three silver objects related to the Holocaust. Including a breast piece for a Torah that melted during Kristallnacht.
Tisha b’Av – in Black. A black wooden Torah pointer, which is wood. Used only once a year, on this day. Same goes for the three black-satin robes on these Torah scrolls, from around the world. One of them is from the Zedek ve’Shalom synagogue from Surinam, which is directly across the hall. Worth a visit. A synagogue with sand on the flood. Why do you think that is? (hint: it has a functional purpose, related to how the lamps were lit)
Pidyon Shevuyim Zedaka box. Tragic and relevant. As you walk into the Zedek ve’Shalom synagogue, notice the charity box on your right. It says פדיון שבויים, which means that money was collected to rescue captives who have been ransomed.
Highlights!
The statue of Hadrian
Hadrian has been moved upstairs to the third floor. It is the centrepiece of an exhibition called Crafted by Bees. It's about the vanishing wax technique, with sculptures of Hadrian made by bees.
Related to Bar Kokhva.
The Lost masterpiece
In 1625, the French master Nicolas Poussin painted a masterpiece. It tells the story of the destruction of Jerusalem, with exquisite detail. Poussin lived in Rome, and would have seen the Arch of Titus, and he knew his Roman history and archaeology. But – the painting went missing for about 350 years. It is now in the museum (sadly it was removed because of the war). If you would like to see the pictures and read the story, here are two excellent articles.
The Bible Lands Museum
The Bible Lands Museum is directly across from the Israel Museum. It has a monument called “Tower of Babylon” to the right of the entrance; you should be able to spot it.
Open on Tisha b’Av. Check website for schedule of activities for kids, or call. You can also just go there and register. This guide is not for their activities, but I recommend them!
This is a small museum, with amazing artifacts. If you come prepared, it can be very enjoyable and memorable experience. The museum has excellent activities in the summer for families and kids, and they also have a temporary exhibition which is very relevant to Tisha b’Av, and our times.
The most relevant exhibits are:
Model of Jerusalem
Model of Babylon
Jerusalem in Babylon Exhibition (bottom floor)
Kuma – The Art of Eitan Rosenswig z”l (left of main floor)
The Bible Lands Museum, as its name implies, deals mostly with First Temple period. But it also extends to later period in the same areas. For example: The Hellenistic kingdoms which encompassed Judea; the Greek culture; the Roman and Byzantine Empires in Judea; the Sassanian Persians in Babylon. It has several scale models of capital cities and monuments from antiquity, e.g. the pyramids of Giza, the Ziggurats or Ur, the banquet hall of Shushan, Jerusalem, Babylon, and more.
Grab a map!
Before you do anything, grab a map, study it, and highlight what you would like to see. This will allow for spontaneity, while sticking to a plan.
Introduction Gallery
I recommend studying the introductory gallery, beginning at the bottom of the stairs on the main floor. This includes the map, and a timeline of events, directly across it. This map will anchor you in the locations, or as I like to call it: the context for the text.
First Temple Jerusalem (Room 14)
Jerusalem at its height, before the destruction. Find the model of Jerusalem. Look for:
Map comparing ancient and current Jerusalem.
Royal capital, like the one found on the ₪5 coin. Why would it be on a coin?
Seals with Jewish names.
Ivories. There were rare, luxury items. They were found in the palaces of the Assyrian Empire, in the capital of Samariah, and recently in Jerusalem. In the Israel Museum you can see the Samaria Ivories, with burn marks from the destruction by Shalmanesser V of Assyria.
Large wine jugs. Those are a little off to the side, between the galleries. These wine jars held vanilla flavored wine. This is a big deal, because until their discover 2-3 years ago, it was believed that vanilla reached this part of the world only after Christopher Colombus.
Assyria and Babylon (Room 15)
Right next to Jerusalem, you will find a small room that has a model of Babylon on the right, and Sennacherib’s throne room in Nineveh, on the left. While Nineveh is important, and Assyria destroyed the Kingdom of Israel, we will be focusing on Babylon. Look for:
Signs of destruction. Fragment of a relief from the palace of Sennacherib, that has burning marks on it. This is from when Nebuchadnezzar’s army attacked and burned Nineveh to the ground.
The Ishtar Gate. On the model of Babylon is the royal procession way, which our ancestors would have walked on as they were paraded into Babylon as prisoners from Judea. According to some of the ancient Greek travelers, this gate was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Small images of Babylonian deities.
We will continue this journey downstairs. But you may want to check out the Roman period before that.
Jerusalem in Babylon (bottom floor)
Find the stairs to the bottom floor (or use the elevator). Near the bathrooms, there is a small entrance to an exhibition called Jerusalem in Babylon. Some of the artifacts are no longer on display, because of the war. Nevertheless, this small room holds treasures.
The original exhibition was much larger, and this smaller version of it tells the fascinating story of the Jewish community that lived in Babylon and rebuilt. It also talks about the return to Zion as a symbol of hope used by the modern Zionist movement.
When you walk in, you may hear this video playing on a loop. You can press ‘pause’ or ‘play’ on the buttons on the wall next to it.
Look for:
Remains of the destruction: Slingstones, arrows, burns pottery, and imagery.
Babylonian Chronicles: Nebuchadnezzar chronicled his journey to Judea. He wrote about deposing Yechoniya, and appointing Zedekiah, but also of his final campaign that destroyed Jerusalem.
Lechish letter IV is mentioned (see above, in the Israel Museum).
Map of Jewish area in Babylon. This area was called Al Yahudu (“Jew-town”).
Five generations of Jews doing business in Babylon. How does this relate to the message of Jeremiah (29:4-7) to the exiles?
How were Jewish names pronounced in Babylon?
Model of houses by the waters of Babylon. Find one cuneiform document around the model, that has Hebrew words carved on it. What does this tell you about the Jews living there?
Redemption: Drawings for the 5th World Zionist Congress, by Ephraim Moses Lilien. This prominent Zionist artist also took the photograph of Herzl leaning on the balcony. Notice the style and imagery. This artist will play a role in the exhibition Kuma, upstairs.
·Talmud printed by the US Army in the German DP camps. This volume of Babylonian Talmud was printed by the US Army, for Jews in the DP camps of Germany. The cover is depicted on the wall, and one volume is in the display. Read the cover. Read about it here.
Relevant videos/articles
Kuma! (main floor)
This temporary exhibition displays the masterpiece of Eitan Rosensweig z”l. A talented artist, and fallen soldier, who fell in Gaza in the beginning of the war. His artwork tells the ongoing story of the Jewish people. Read more.
Look for:
Touch screen that helps you explore specific parts of the main piece.
Stand back and take in the large painting. Notice that it is divided into four sections. Can you see them? Characteristics of each of the sections. What is their main focus?
The beginning with the letter ב. The ending with the dragon Falkor from the Never Ending Story. What does that mean?
The name of the artwork: Kuma, mei afatzim ve-kankantom. These are components used to make permanent ink for a Torah. And there is a play on words for Kuma, which also means ‘arise’.
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