A mysterious ancient stone containing Hebrew writing is on display in Jerusalem. The Gabriel Stone is named for its depiction of the archangel Gabriel and is believed to date back to the time of the Second Temple. It was discovered on the banks of the Dead Sea 13 years ago, and is on display now for visitors at the Israel Museum. "The Gabriel Stone is in a way a Dead Sea Scroll written on stone," said James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum. Researchers disagree on the original purpose of the stone, …More

An auction of the 500-piece Judaica collection owned by philanthropist Michael Steinhardt was the "most valuable auction of Judaica ever held," Sotheby's said. Monday's auction of nearly all of the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection brought in more than $8.5 million, Sotheby's wrote in a statement, exceeding the pre-sale estimate by $6 million. Some 92.6 percent of the 381 lots were sold, the New York auction house added. Prior to the auction, Sotheby's announced that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem …More

A 15th century Hebrew manuscript has been purchased jointly by the Israel Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fetching a record-breaking sum. The text is one half of an illuminated Mishneh Torah, Maimonides’ historic 12th century work. The manuscript was created in Italy in 1457. The Torah was set for auction at Sotheby’s this morning, from the collection of Michael and Judy Steinhardt. Instead, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Met made the joint purchase privately before the auction …More

President Barack Obama’s first call of duty this morning was a visit to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, for a tour of some of the Jewish state’s most prized exhibits. The president was given a private look inside the Shrine of the Book, where the historic Dead Sea Scrolls are stored. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on hand to read sections of the scrolls to Obama, who listened attentively and asked questions. A docent also showed the president the Aleppo Codex, Judaism’s most important …More

Maxine Dovere, JNS.org There is hardly any movement in the entry of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The vacant hall allows a rare opportunity to view the huge, multi-media Yaacov Agam work that dominates the museum’s lobby unobstructed, from every angle. Sound, from the chatter of children’s voices to the even tones of a doyenne leading a touring group, is absent. Even the quiet undertone of the ubiquitous Israeli cell phone conversations is missing. At the entry door, a mother learns that she has to …More

The Jerusalem-based Israel Museum is scheduled in February to open an exhibit on the infamous biblical Jewish king, Herod the Great, the Associated Press reported. King Herod plays a significant role in Christianity, appearing in the Gospel of Matthew as the bloodthirsty tyrant behind the Massacre of the Innocents. According to that account, Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered the execution of all young male children near Bethlehem after receiving word from the “wise men of the East” who were …More

The Israel Museum will host an unusual holiday celebration on Sunday when domino toppling experts Nissim Lopez and Yogev Cohen construct the largest domino Hanukkah menorah of all time. The menorah will consist of 25,000 dominoes, making it eligible for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records, under the category of "largest domino menorah." …More

The largest collection of biblical artifacts ever displayed outside of Israel, including 20 Dead Sea Scrolls, made their debut today at New York’s Discovery Times Square Exposition. The exhibition, entitled “Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times,” hopes to create a “fascinating archaeological journey through the Holy Land.” Its titular centerpiece, the Dead Sea Scrolls, are sections of biblical books written on frayed pieces of parchment and papyrus. Discovered between …More

More than a million people have visited a new website featuring high-resolution photographs of several Dead Sea Scrolls since the site was launched less than a week ago by the Israel Museum and Google Israel. The website provides a detailed view of five of the most complete scrolls, which were found at Qumran and date from around the Second Temple period, nearly 2,000 years ago. What do you think of this article? Visit Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views. Among the scrolls featured on the website is the …More

Sotheby’s auction house in New York will be selling works from The Israel Museum in the coming months. The auction house said Friday that Rene Magritte, Camille Pissarro and Georges Braque are among the artists whose works will be sold during auctions in November and December. Additional works will be offered in London in November and February. The total is expected to bring more than $17 million. Among the highlights is Magritte’s “The Straight Road.” Its pre-sale estimate is up to $3.5 …More

He's one of the art world's most influential personalities, and in his 15-year tenure James Snyder has put the Israel Museum on the international map. The Israel Museum isn't just where James Snyder comes to work every day. "For me, the personal and the professional get inextricably intertwined," Snyder tells ISRAEL21c during an interview in his office at the recently refurbished Israel Museum in Jerusalem. "I realized a long time ago that I'm an institution person. I had a rather long tenure at the Metropolitan …More