Much delayed...

When I lived in Israel in 2010, there were two things that were promised to be opened shortly: the newly renovated Israel Museum and the Light Rail.  The Museum had been closed my entire 2 years in Israel, and the renovations had taken longer than planned.  The Light Rail was at least 2 year delayed in its opening.  Thus, these two things I should have been able to experience were still closed when I left in July of 2010.  And, of course, they both opened shortly after I left.  Such is life.

Fortunately, I managed to get back to Israel, and this week I rode the Light Rail and went to the Israel Museum, all in one day.

Campus was mostly empty this week, but one of the students and I decided that the Israel Museum needed to be visited.  And, unsure of the bus system, we decided to take the Light Rail.  It doesn't really drop one off really close the museum, but the walk isn't bad.  We ended up walking the whole way home, which didn't take much longer...but the Light Rail was an experience worth having.

Riding down Jaffa Road

Here we're crossing the famous bridge.  Whether you like it or hate it, it's quite a landmark in Jerusalem.

Once at the museum our excitement was great.  One of the first things we saw was this:

The original four-horned altar from Beersheva.  Probably dismantled and put to secondary use during the reforms of Hezekiah (or a similar Judean King), it was found and reassembled by archaeologists, and sent to Jerusalem.  

Objects from the "Cave of the Treasure" were also displayed, including this intricate scepter.  All these things date to the Chalcolithic Age.

There were many archaeological finds that excited my interest, but perhaps one of the coolest to finally see was this one:

I know it doesn't look like much, but it was found just across the valley from JUC at Ketef Hinnom by my very own archaeology professor, Dr. Gabi Barkai.  These two small silver scrolls contain the oldest known text of Hebrew scripture (the priestly blessing from Numbers 6)- considerably older than the Dead Sea scrolls.  

One of the prettiest displays was the ancient glass room.  I especially liked that little bottle on the bottom.  So brilliantly colored.

There are other wings to the museum, aside from the all important ancient history/archaeology wing.  There's sections for Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas.  Yes.  I came all the way from Montana where there ARE American Indians to see this display in Israel about American Indians.

We finished off the visit with a look around the Second Temple Model of Jerusalem (which I HAD seen before).  See that wall in the picture below?  The section with two towers and then, a little ways down, a small gate?  That's where JUC is now.  If my understanding is correct, our office is actually on top of the remains of one of those towers.  And the remains of that gate, possibly the gate of the Essene, those remains are in our cemetery.  As you can see the Temple and other important remains in the background, you can get a feeling for how close to everything we are here.

I'll try not to bore you with any more details of pottery and statues and swords and arrowheads and...  Yeah, very cool stuff.  Come visit me and I'll show you. :)