Exhibit Watch: World’s Oldest Masks

Stone masks with vacant eyes and jagged teeth greet visitors at the Israel Museum. No, they are not Halloween decorations but the focal point of a new exhibit of the world’s oldest masks, some of which are being displayed to the public for the first time. Realistic in their simplicity, these ancient faces seem to stare back at us through time itself. Face to Face: The Oldest Masks in the World features a dozen masks that date to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (8300–5500 B.C.E.) and come from the Judean Hills and Wilderness. The stone masks are fashioned to […]