Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RUTH YOUTH WING
SHRINE OF THE TOPIC
This section of the museum
is devoted to interactive art
activities. The idea behind it
was to introduce children to
art and culture. The largest of
its kind in the world, the centre
has now extended its reach to
adults. With ten classrooms, an
auditorium, library, recycling
workshop and exhibition
space, it provides a stimulating
environment for children and
adults to learn about creative
processes. There are regular
“hands on” exhibitions, art
courses and summer schemes
for all ages, as well as tours for
groups with special needs.
Built to house the Dead Sea
Scrolls and other important
artifacts, the intriguingly
shaped Shrine of the Topic
has become a symbol of the
whole museum. The unusual
design, by American archi-
tects F Kiesler and A Bartos, is
inspired by the scrolls them-
selves. The distinctive dome
is intended to imitate the lids
of the jars in which the scrolls
were found. Near the entrance
is a black granite wall. The
contrast between the black
of the wall and the white of
the dome is a reference to the
decisive battle between the
Children of Darkness and the
Children of Light, described in
the scroll known as the War
Scroll. This final confrontation
between good and evil would,
the authors believed, herald the
coming of the Messiah.
Inside, a long, subtly lit
passageway, designed to evoke
the catacomb-like environ-
ment in which the scrolls
were found, has a permanent
exhibition on life in Qumran
at the time the scrolls were
written. It leads into the main
chamber under the dome. The
imposing showcase directly
beneath the dome contains a
facsimile of the Great Isaiah
Scroll, the only biblical book
that survived in its entirety.
Its 66 chapters were written on
several strips of parchment,
which were then sewn togeth-
er, making it more than 7 m
(23 ft) long. One of the sur-
rounding display cases contains
part of the real scroll. Also on
show are the Psalms Scroll, 28
Magdalena Abakonowicz's
Negev
(1987), Billy Rose Art Garden
columns of text consisting of
psalms, hymns and a prose
passage about the psalms; the
War Scroll; the Manual of
Discipline; the Temple Scroll;
and the 10th-century Aleppo
Codex - not one of the Dead
Sea Scrolls, but the oldest
complete Bible in Hebrew.
On the Shrine's lower level
are 2nd-century AD articles,
such as keys and baskets,
found in the Cave of Letters,
south of Ein Gedi
(see p197)
.
Adjacent to the Shrine of the
Book is a Second Temple-era
model of Jerusalem.
Originally constructed on the
grounds of the Holyland Hotel
on the outskirts of the city,
this large-scale model was
relocated to the museum in
2006. It offers visitors a three-
dimensional view of the
landscape of Jerusalem during
the 1st century. Mainly built
from local limestone, the
model covers almost one acre
and was constructed at a
scale of 1:50, with 2 cm of the
model representing one
metre of the city.
Children participating in creative
activities in the Ruth Youth Wing
BILLY ROSE ART GARDEN
The garden was designed by
the American sculptor Isamu
Noguchi. It is an extraordinary
combination of elements from
local history and landscape,
motifs from the traditional Zen
garden and significant works
of modern sculpture. It is laid
out as a series of semi-circular
terraces echoing those made
for centuries by farmers in the
Judaean Hills. Indigenous
plants such as olive trees,
cypresses and rosemary bushes
are dotted around the garden.
The garden offers an
overview of sculpture through
the 20th century. There are
stunning early works by Rodin,
Maillol, Picasso and Bourdelle.
The curvaceous shapes in
Henry Moore's pieces contrast
with the angular composition
of David Smith's
Cubi VI
(1963). Contemporary sculp-
tures include James Turrell's
intriguing installation with a
large rectangular opening in
the top for observing the sky,
and Claes Oldenburg's “rotting”
apple core, rich in symbolism
and existential allusions.
Symbolic clash of darkness and light at the Shrine of the Book entrance
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p258 and p274
