Shrine of the Book
היכל הספר | |
Frederick Kiesler | |
Type | Museum |
---|---|
Material | black basalt |
Completion date | 1965 |
Website | [1] |
The Shrine of the Book (Hebrew: היכל הספר, Heikhal HaSefer) is a wing of the Israel Museum in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Aleppo Codex, among others.
History
The building was constructed in 1965, funded by the family of
The shrine is built as a white dome, covering a structure placed two-thirds below the ground, that is reflected in a pool of water that surrounds it. Across from the white dome is a black basalt wall. According to one interpretation, the colors and shapes of the building are based on the imagery of the Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness; the white dome symbolizes the Sons of Light and the black wall symbolizes the Sons of Darkness.[3]
As the fragility of the scrolls makes it impossible to display all on a continuous basis, a system of rotation is used. After a scroll has been exhibited for 3–6 months, it is removed from its showcase and placed temporarily in a special storeroom, where it "rests" from exposure.
The shrine houses the
In 2013, the Bank of Israel released an Israeli bullion coin dedicated to the Shrine of the Book.[5]
Gallery
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Shrine of the Book
-
Barack Obama viewing the Dead Sea Scrolls, 2013
See also
- Tourism in Israel
- List of museums in Israel
- Culture of Israel
References
- Jerusalem Post
- ^ Classics: Shrine of the Book / Armand Phillip Bartos and Frederick John Kiesler
- ^ "Shrine of the Book, The Israel Museum, The Temple". All About Jerusalem.
- Jerusalem Post
- ^ Shrine of the Book bullion coin
Further reading
- Meir Ronen, "Keepers of the Scrolls," The Jerusalem Post (July 24, 1997).
- Lelke, Roland, "Der endlose Raum in Frederick Kieslers Schrein des Buches," ("The endless space in Frederick Kiesler's Shrine of the Book") (book, 187 p.) Shaker Verlag, Aachen, (1999) (German)
External links
- The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- The Shrine of the Book (in Hebrew)
- The Israel Museum, Jerusalem