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“Despite an iffy economy and erratic museum attendance, the organizers of a National Music Center and Museum Foundation in downtown Washington are forging ahead with plans for a $220 million facility,” began an article in the Washington Post this past fall. $220 million—just for the facility. Wow!
That brought me back to one of my favorite subjects: Why isn’t there a major Biblical archaeology museum in the United States?
Well, you’ll say, music is different. Everyone likes music and is interested in it.
Yes, but then, from my old-fashioned files, I scrounged a yellowing copy of the New York Times from Independence Day, 2003, and found this blaring headline on the front page of the Weekend section: “Ethnic Museums Abounding.” The article tells us that New York alone has at least 25 such museums, “most springing up in the surge of ethnic self-consciousness of recent decades.”
“Comprehensive they are not…A full exploration of Ukranian culture requires an actual trip to Kiev,” the story continued. But even the small museums are planning for bigger things. “Next year, the Ukranian Museum will be moving into a sleek three-story home that will allow it to display the full range of its thousands of paintings, ceramics, festive attire and historical photographs.”
Which brings me back to the question: why not a Biblical archaeology museum?
I don’t mean to slight the many institutions that display small Biblical archaeology collections consisting of artifacts from their own old excavations or from old gifts. The most recent entry in the field is a more comprehensive effort in three rooms of a Brooklyn synagogue. But none of these is a major, comprehensive and up-to-date museum.
The easy way to acquire a comprehensive collection for display—a major task even assuming an appropriate facility were available to house it—is for the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to open a branch in the United States. I would call it The Israel Museum in New York. Or The Israel Museum in Washington.
I have suggested the idea on more than one occasion to James Snyder, the director of the museum, and to Michael Steinhardt, former chairman of the American Friends of the Israel Museum and husband of Judy Steinhardt, the current co-chair. But the idea hasn’t gotten very far. If not the Israel Museum, perhaps another museum in Israel would be interested in the idea. I think I could guarantee the popularity of such a museum in the United States. And think of the good will it would bring to Israel.
A museum of Biblical archaeology could easily be filled with the undisplayed items in the storerooms of an institution like the Israel Museum. Lending even some of the permanent collection would seem to be especially easy at this time because, unfortunately, tourism to Israel is at a low because of the current violence. And lending objects from Israel would be facilitated because the Israeli museum would still control the objects when they were in the United States.
Can it be done? Let us hear from anyone who has ideas on how to implement such a project.
I have been advised that the first step is to acquire a site. Who wants to contribute a site in downtown Washington or in Manhattan? Or should it be elsewhere? Is this really the first step? What are your ideas?
“Despite an iffy economy and erratic museum attendance, the organizers of a National Music Center and Museum Foundation in downtown Washington are forging ahead with plans for a $220 million facility,” began an article in the Washington Post this past fall. $220 million—just for the facility. Wow!
