Bible Lands Museum

The Bible Lands Museum is an archaeological museum in Jerusalem, Israel, that explores the cultures of peoples mentioned in the Bible. Located in the Givat Ram neighborhood on Museum Row, it opened in 1992 with the aim of placing ancient civilizations in historical context rather than treating them primarily through a religious lens. The museum's geographic scope extends from Egypt to Afghanistan and from Nubia to the Caucasus, covering the span from the dawn of human civilization to early Christianity. Its position between the Israel Museum, the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, and the Bloomfield Science Museum makes it a significant node in Jerusalem's museum district.

The museum was founded by Elie Borowski, an antiquities dealer who had assembled a major private collection of Ancient Near Eastern art. During a visit to Jerusalem in 1981, Borowski met Batya Weiss, who encouraged him to bring his collection to Israel and establish a museum there. She connected him with Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek. Borowski followed this advice, and the museum was constructed on land donated by the city of Jerusalem at a cost of $12 million. The collection was moved from a museum in Toronto to Jerusalem. Elie Borowski and Batya Weiss later married. The museum building was designed by architect Ze'ev Schoenberg.

The museum's collection emphasizes historical and archaeological aspects over religious interpretation. Its chronological range runs from the beginnings of human civilization through early Christianity. The main gallery is organized into twenty numbered sections that trace development from prehistoric times through late antiquity, including periods such as the Pre-Patriarchal World, the Sumerian Temple, Old Kingdom Egypt, the Age of the Patriarchs, Israel's sojourn in Egypt, the Sea Peoples, Assyrian dominance, the Splendor of Persia, Hellenistic dominions, and Rome and Judaea. The museum regularly hosts special exhibitions alongside its permanent display. Topics covered include the origins of writing, embalming practices, and Abraham's journey, with relevant biblical verses displayed in connection with appropriate artifacts.

The main gallery displays hundreds of artifacts including ancient documents, idols, coins, statues, weapons, pottery, and seals from across the ancient Near East. The museum also exhibits scale models of Jerusalem during the First Temple period, a ziggurat at Ur, and the pyramids of Giza. Among its special exhibitions, the 2017 program featured Jerusalem in Babylon, with new light on the Judean exiles including the Al-Yahudu tablets; Gods, Heroes and Mortals in Ancient Greece; and In the Valley of David and Goliath. The collection's strength lies in its breadth across the many civilizations that interacted in the biblical lands, including ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Arameans, Hittites, Elamites, Phoenicians, Persians, and Jews.

The museum building is situated on Museum Row in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, a planned area that concentrates several major cultural institutions. The site was made possible through a land donation from the city of Jerusalem. The building was designed by architect Ze'ev Schoenberg. Its location places it in direct proximity to the Israel Museum, the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, and the Bloomfield Science Museum, forming a coherent cluster of institutions dedicated to archaeology, science, and cultural heritage.

The Bible Lands Museum is located in Jerusalem, Israel, in the Givat Ram area. Its website is https://www.blmj.org/en/. The museum operates as an established public institution that grew from a private collection into a permanent museum facility. It continues to maintain both its permanent chronological gallery and rotating special exhibitions, serving as an active center for the presentation of ancient Near Eastern archaeological material to the public.