Israel Museum Re-opened

After three years and $100 million, the Israel Museum has re-opened. My husband and I went last night and were very impressed. It’s obvious that some parts are still under construction and a number of exhibits have to be labeled, but the enlarged galleries and the bright lighting are a big improvement. We didn’t go into the Shrine of the Book (photo above), since it was open while the rest of the museum was closed for construction, but I took this photo from the path.

The museum doesn’t allow photography for copyright reasons, so if anyone asks how I took these photos … um, er, I was shooting from the hip with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, no tripod or flash.

Synagogue floor mosaic:

Second Temple Period ossuary:

Torah ark in reconstructed Venetian synagogue:

Terra cotta quails, Mamluk:

Yinka Shonibare, Artist’s Choices: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water (I love his textiles! Check out his site):

Spanier work, a rather rare form of metallic bobbin lace used for making the atarot (trim around the neckline) of tallitot (prayer shawls). This particular exhibit was accompanied by a video of a Belz hassid making the trim.

Gift shop window: