Rockefeller Archeological Museum

The Rockefeller Museum located in Eastern Jerusalem , houses a vast collection of regional archeology unearthed in excavations conducted in the country mainly during the time of the British Mandate of Palestine ( 1919 - 1948 ). The Museum was opened in 1938 . The Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, is situated inside a magnificent white limestone building. In 1925 , James Henry Breasted , founder and director of the University of Chicago 's Oriental Institute, visited Palestine , and was surprised to discover Jerusalem 's lack of a proper archaeological museum. Rockefeller, Jr. for a donation that would help constructing such museum in Jerusalem . Rockefeller agreed to contribute toward the project the sum of two million dollars - at that time an astonishing amount. Rockefeller had previously wanted to donate money for an archeological museum in Egypt . A short while after the announcement of the donation, a site was chosen for the building - Kerem el-Sheik - a hill located just outside the northeastern corner of the Old City walls. The design of the museum was assigned to Austen St. Barbe Harrison , the chief architect of the Mandatory Department of Public Works, who planned a magnificent structure, integrating in it eastern and western architectural elements. The cornerstone of the new museum was laid on June 19, 1930 and the doors were opened to the public on January 13, 1938 . Although its official name was "The Palestine Archaeological Museum," from the very outset, the building was most commonly known as the "Rockefeller Museum". The museum was run by an international board of trustees until 1966 when it was nationalized by King Hussein of Jordan . Not long after the Jordanian government assumed control the museum fell into the hands of Israel as a consequence of the Six-Day War . The management of the building and its contents is entrusted to two institutions: The Israel Museum , Jerusalem and the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums (later renamed Israel Antiquities Authority). Sadly, due to the political situation the museum is seldom visited. The museum's first curator was John H. He arranged artifacts in chronological order, from two million years ago to 1700 BCE. Prized possessions include 8th-century wooden panels from the al-Aqsa Mosque and the 12th-century ( Crusader -period) marble lintels from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher . The collection is based on finds unearthed during the early years of archaeological activity in the country ( 1890 - 1948 ) in Jerusalem , Megiddo , Ashkelon , Lachish , Samaria , and Jericho .

Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem The Rockefeller Museum , formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum , is an archaeological museum located in Jerusalem , Israel that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in the Land of Palestine beginning in the late 19th century. The museum building is also the head office of the Israel Antiquities Authority .

Cornerstone laying of Rockefeller museum The Rockefeller Museum , formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum , is an archaeological museum located in East Jerusalem that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in Mandate Palestine , in the 1920s and 1930s. The museum is under the management of the Israel Museum and houses the head office of the Israel Antiquities Authority . Rockefeller Museum - The Museum and its Exhibitions .

Laying of the cornerstone , 19 June 1930 The Rockefeller Museum , formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum (PAM), is an archaeology museum located in East Jerusalem that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in Mandatory Palestine , in the 1920s and 1930s. The museum is under the management of the Israel Museum and houses the head office of the Israel Antiquities Authority . Rockefeller Museum – The Museum and its Exhibitions .

Museum in Jerusalem Laying of the cornerstone , 19 June 1930. The Rockefeller Archeological Museum , formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum ("PAM"; 1938–1967), is an archaeology museum located in East Jerusalem , next to Herod's Gate , that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in the British-ruled Mandatory Palestine , mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. The museum was established through a donation by John D. Rockefeller Jr. for the creation of a museum and research center in Cairo . Designed by British architect Austen Harrison , it blends Western architectural achievements with Eastern influences, using materials such as Turkish nut doors and Armenian ceramics . The foundation stone was laid in June 1930, and the museum opened in January 1938. Initially managed by an international body, it was nationalized by the Jordanians in 1966. During the Six-Day War in 1967, battles occurred in the area, and the museum came under Israeli control . Renamed the "Rockefeller Museum," it is now managed by the Israel Museum and houses the head office of the Israel Antiquities Authority . The Museum's most prized collection, the Dead Sea Scrolls , were housed in the Museum from their discovery, in 1947, until 1967, when, following the Israeli capture of East Jerusalem , Israel relocated the scrolls to the Israel Museum , in West Jerusalem , with the ownership of these scrolls having been heavily contested ever since. A small part of the scrolls, including the Copper Scroll , had been taken to Amman , and is now part of the collection of The Jordan Museum . "The Friends of Antiquities: The story of an Israeli volunteer group and comparative remarks". Journal of Hebrew Scriptures . 8 . Rockefeller Museum – The Museum and its Exhibitions .