Expeditions

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The Rebirth of the British Museum

If you have never visited the British Museum, now is the time to go. Even if you have already visited it, go again, and again and again. Better still, customize your tour on the Internet in advance (see below for information), so you can see what you want without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume and richness of the collections.

Start with the reopened Great Court, at the core of the museum. Originally an outdoor courtyard, the Great Court now is crowned with a vast hanging curved glass roof that nevertheless has a soaring beauty that will take your breath away. The museum’s collections still form the same treasure-house that has made it a must-see for visitors to London for almost 250 years.

Blending the Old and New

Even if it is a longer walk from where you parked, try to enter the museum through the main Great Russell Street entrance so you don’t miss the stately neo-Grecian facade, designed (as was the entire building) in 1823 by Sir Robert Smirke. The gracious proportions of this grand entryway still impress, even with its accumulation of London grime.

At first glance, the Front Hall appears not to have changed. A closer look, however, reveals that the coffered ceiling, which had been a shabby gray, has had its sunken panels decorated with a myriad of colors. A team of English heritage specialists applied 52 distinct colors of paint to re-create the original look.

But nothing here prepares you for your first thrilling glimpse of the Great Court, the largest glass-covered square in Europe, which shortly comes into view. It naturally draws your eyes up and up to the glass-and-steel roof, with its 3,312 panes of glass, each cut to a unique triangular shape. Through the glass, the clouds go scudding by, filtering whatever sunlight London can muster.

Facing you in the center of the court is the massive drum-shaped Reading Room with its two monumental staircases wrapped around each side leading up to the galleries. You can best orient yourself with a preliminary ramble around the 12 major pieces of sculpture representing each of the world cultures in the museum collection. These are placed strategically around the Great Court to guide you into the relevant galleries. For instance, outside the galleries showcasing Assyrian sculpture is the massive alabaster stela (commemorative stone slab, above) of the Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II, (884–859 B.C.E.) who came to power in northern Mesopotamia during the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah.

Thus the world of ancient Assyria entices you. The first object you encounter among the Nimrud Palace reliefs is the great Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (859–824 B.C.E.). One of the glories of the British Museum, the obelisk’s cuneiform inscriptions provided the first extra-Biblical confirmation of the existence of an Israelite king (Jehu) named in the Bible. One of the registers famously depicts Jehu on his knees before the Assyrian monarch.^a Britons and others have thronged to see the obelisk since 1847 when it was first shipped here, along with the other Assyrian sculptures in the surrounding rooms, from areas in what is now northern Iraq. Most of them were excavated by Sir Austen Henry Layard, who, although ill-supported by his patrons, the Trustees of the British Museum, persevered under conditions of great hardship, finally winning fame and fortune for his accomplishments. Today the British Museum houses galleries devoted to the three great Assyrian cities Layard unearthed: Nimrud (Calah in the Bible), Khorsabad and Nineveh. The Louvre and the Berlin State Museum also have impressive collections of Assyrian sculpture, but this is the only place where so many of the wonderfully preserved stone reliefs can be seen in the sequence of their original placement around the rooms of the royal Assyrian palaces.

Also in this part of the Ancient Near East exhibit is a room devoted to the spectacular reliefs depicting the Assyrian conqueror Sennacherib (705–681 B.C.E.) and his siege of the fortified Judean city of 053Lachish. These once adorned the walls of Sennacherib’s Southwest Palace at Nineveh, also excavated by Layard. We had recently seen copies of them in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and were keen to see the originals. They are huge and incredibly detailed, showing the relentless advance of the Assyrian army on Lachish. Farther on in the sequence, above the depiction of Sennacherib seated on his throne receiving the prisoners, a cuneiform inscription reads: “Sennacherib, king of hosts, king of Assyria, sat upon his throne of state, and the spoil of the city of Lachish passed before him.” This is a remarkable confirmation of the Biblical account, which reads: “After this did Sennacherib, king of Assyria, send his servants to Jerusalem—he being in Lachish with all his officials” (2 Chronicles 32:9).

Henry Adams once wrote that the British Museum is a “chaos in time.” This is still true despite the renovations, for you must interrupt your journey midway through the Ancient Near East Collection and ascend to the upper floor to complete it. On the gently curving stairway, pause to take in the grand view of the Great Court. As you continue on your way to the bridge linking the Great Court to the main building, you will pass the Court Restaurant with its elegant starched tablecloths perhaps for later pleasures.

But now, over the bridge and into Early Mesopotamia. Here are treasures from Ur of the Chaldees (also in modern-day Iraq), one of the greatest archaeological sites of all time. It was Leonard Woolley’s account of his discoveries at Ur that inspired me to study archaeology. Such famous finds as the “Ram in a Thicket” figurine, the Royal Standard of Ur, the Queen’s Lyre and the lavish jewelry that you have seen in countless books and magazines—here they are in all their splendor, a banquet of the beauty that was Ur.

Proceeding into the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery of the Ancient Levant, those who are familiar with Biblical descriptions of the Canaanites may initially be taken aback by an explanatory wall plaque that says of the collection, in part: “Prominence is given to the Canaanites, the refined and urbane indigenous people, whose artistry and craftsmanship were highly regarded and greatly sought after throughout the Near East, and whose cultural traditions were passed on by their direct descendants, the Phoenicians.”

Yes, some aspects of Canaanite culture are refined, although we might not know it from the Bible. Most of the collection is drawn from three excavated sites: Alalakh in Syria, Tell es-Sa’idiyeh in Jordan and Lachish in Israel. Take a good look at the Lachish ostracon on display. It is one of 21 Hebrew ostraca (notes inscribed on potsherds) that excavators found at Lachish. Most scholars believe that these strange, evocative messages at Lachish were sent by the commander of a small fortress outside Lachish to the military commander inside the city.

I remember standing atop the tell at Lachish, looking toward the mound of ruins of the nearby ancient city of Azekah, and reading Jeremiah 34:7 with a group we had brought on a tour of Israel. This passage says Lachish and Azekah were the only fortified Judean towns left during the destructive sweep of the army of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon through Judah. One of the Lachish ostraca described how Hoshayahu, the commander of the Israelite garrison outside Lachish, was “watching for the signals of Lachish … for we cannot see the signals of Azekah.” Our stomachs churning, we contemplated how the residents of Lachish, looking in vain for the extinguished beacon from the neighboring town, would have realized that the implacable Babylonian army would soon arrive at the walls of their own town, where we now stood.

The British Museum could do more to help visitors make such connections with the artifacts by providing relevant Biblical citations in the identifying labels, as the Israel Museum does. Unfortunately, at present you must come equipped with your own knowledge of the Biblical text. Presumably the outmoded labeling of these finds will be updated as more renovations, leading up to the 250th anniversary of the museum in 2003, proceed. (The major part of the construction is now complete, however.)

Even so, treasures abound. Here, hidden away in a corner, nearly overlooked, is a part of Jerusalem transplanted to faraway Britain—the Royal Steward inscription from Silwan. Charles Clermont-Ganneau in 1870 gouged it out of a rock-cut tomb and later sold it to the British Museum. Not until 1953 was it completely deciphered, by Israeli paleographer and archaeologist Nachman Avigad. The inscription bears part of the name Shebnayahu, which is believed by many to be a longer form of the name Shebna, the royal steward condemned by Isaiah for 054his extravagant tomb (Isaiah 22:15–25). If they are indeed the same man, this inscription would have marked the very tomb the prophet decried.^b

Even if you restrict yourself to the ancient Near East, in the gallery devoted to Later Mesopotamia there await such documents as the Taylor Prism, with its rich cuneiform detail on the campaigns of Sennacherib. And do not neglect the “Nebuchadnezzar Brick,” copied by Saddam Hussein in his showcase restoration of the ancient city of Babylon (with Saddam in the place of Nebuchadnezzar). A gallery devoted to ancient Iran displays the Cyrus Cylinder, which describes the measures of relief Cyrus of Persia (557–529 B.C.E.) offered to the inhabitants of Babylon, including the restoration of many captive peoples to their various homelands—the exiles from Judea apparently among them. Some have called this cylinder the “first charter of human rights.” And don’t miss the exquisite silver vessels from the Palace of Shushan, in Persia.

If you have the whole day to spend, you could also visit the Reading Room at the center of the museum. It is now open to the general public, who, like a character in E.M. Forster’s novel, The Longest Journey, can admire “that book-encircled space … and see the volumes rising tier above tier into the misty dome.” Don’t expect to see the ancient manuscripts and codices, however, for they are now in the separate new British Library building on Euston Road, next to the St. Pancras subway station.

Before you leave the Great Court, take a seat on one of the benches along the sides, facing the southern entrance. Consider the looks of exhilaration and veneration that pass over people’s faces as they enter the Great Court for the first time. The British Museum, with its gems from the dust, now has a beating heart.

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How to Plan Your Visit On-line

The museum’s innovative on-line guide to the collections, COMPASS (Collections Multimedia Public Access System, www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass), is among the most detailed multimedia databases produced by the world’s museums. Although it is not comprehensive, it features information on some 5,000 items in the museum’s collections. This is an indispensable resource for planning your visit, especially if you have only a limited amount of time, and most especially if you are going with youngsters.

For example, our search on Assyria brought up 85 high-resolution images that could be magnified for closer examination, together with clear, accessible text. It is possible to create your own made-to-measure tour, as the information pages give precise reference to the location of each item. Children can help plan the tour, which means they will better enjoy participating in it.

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How to Visit in Person

Admission is free.

How to Get There:

Tube (Subway): Russell Square, Holborn, Goodge St. or Tottenham Court Road.

Parking: On-site parking is available only for disabled visitors. There are metered parking spaces to the north and east of the museum and underground parking on Bloomsbury Square. There is also multi-story parking at the end of Museum Street.

Visiting hours for the collections:

10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Saturday–Wednesday

10:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Thursday–Friday

Visiting hours for the Great Court:

9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Monday–Wednesday

9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Thursday–Saturday

Frequent concerts, gallery talks and other cultural events enrich the Great Court; check ahead for the schedule.

Food, Drink and Shopping

Hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes and other light meals are available at the café on the ground floor of the Great Court.

The hours of operation are:

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday

9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday

9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Thursday–Saturday.

On the upper floor, right under the dramatic glass and steel roof of the Great Court, is the Court restaurant, which offers hot and cold meals all day with coffee in the morning and, in the afternoon, a traditional English tea (featuring dainty sandwiches, cakes and, of course, a cup of tea!). The hours are:

11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday–Wednesday

11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Thursday–Saturday

11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Sunday

There are all sorts of goodies in the British Museum’s four book and gift shops. Younger visitors will be enthralled by the children’s shop, where you can purchase such items as Hebrew calligraphy sets, kits that allow you to practice the process of mummification and badges that read, “I love my mummy.”

Bibliophiles should turn right on exiting the museum and cross Great Russell Street to visit The Museum Bookshop. Here you can purchase rare books on Biblical archaeology and excavation reports normally available only in Israel. An excellent resource for this visit is T.C. Mitchell’s The Bible in the British Museum (London: British Museum Publications, 1988).

The Rebirth of the British Museum If you have never visited the British Museum, now is the time to go. Even if you have already visited it, go again, and again and again. Better still, customize your tour on the Internet in advance (see below for information), so you can see what you want without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume and richness of the collections. Start with the reopened Great Court, at the core of the museum. Originally an outdoor courtyard, the Great Court now is crowned with a vast hanging curved glass roof that nevertheless has a […]