The Museum of Israel

Our day started later than usual this morning, which was greatly appreciated. The wake-up call wasn’t until 7:00 a.m., breakfast by 8, and then we got on the bus by 9:30 a.m. to visit the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem. The scenery of the city is quite different from other sites we have explored thus far. In lieu of breathtaking mountains, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and other amazing sites on scarcely populated roadways, we are in the largest city in Israel. Jerusalem has the feel of our large cities at home with crowded narrow streets, high rise buildings, and people everywhere. The population of the city sits at an estimated one million citizens. As someone reared in Jersey City, NJ, I feel at home!

Upon our arrival at the museum, our first stop was to view a model of ancient Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple when the city was at its peak. The model is prestige, as you can see on the attached picture of the replica. What makes it especially unique is that the replica is made out of the same stones, marble, ceramics, copper, iron, and gold as the original city. Even though we’ve been to the remaining walls of the city and other locations within the old city, the model offers a panoramic view of ancient Jerusalem.

We, then, moved inside the museum, which was breathtaking. It was a defining moment of my experience of Israel. The breadth and richness of the collections are without parallel. First, we got to see some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, both replicas and originals. Those included a replica of the Isaiah Scroll and the originals of the Thanksgiving Scroll and the Community Rule.

As we continued our tour of the museum, we saw a lot of various artifacts that gave glimpses into how the inhabitants of Jerusalem lived. For example, the pottery on display highlighted meal habits and other everyday interactions. This has been my favorite site to visit throughout our time in Israel. With only two days of our trip left, my prayer for all of us is that our journey continues to be exciting with new adventures and events that lead us in the direction of our Master Builder, and that we follow with discernment His Will as we guide others to the one who saves, redeems, and lives within us.

–Tammy Davis
M.Div., 3rd year, Charlotte Campus