One of my "reads" (see blog #2), Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, suggests that Tel Qasile, an archeological dig located inside the campus of Eretz-Israel Museum, is worth a visit so I dedicated this day to a visit to what the tourism promoters call the most wonderful museum in Israel.
Indeed, the Museum sits on a very picturesque large plat of several hectares near the Tel Aviv University and includes many separate buildings, each with its own special exhibit, one on postage, one on glass making, one on ancient pottery, one that houses olive presses, another that houses dioramic exhibits of crafts (carpentry, metal work, etc.) with the tools of the period (although it was not clear what the period was).
Some of the buildings are quite well done architecturally, but, frankly the curation of the museum as a whole leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe it is the season of the year, maybe the budget, but the place is not well groomed...nice landscaping, overall, but not well cared for. The available descriptions are in Hebrew and English but very minimal and there is no walking catalog of their collections in English available for use or purchase. I did have free run of the whole campus without guides, docents or attendants.
The Tel was not being worked. That could be because typically, archeological digs are worked during the college summer break and, this early in May, the University archeological project teams that work these digs are not here yet. The Tel appears to be the remnants of a small Philistine community, likely about C 12 BCE.
Here are the remains of shops and housing at a location on the top of the hill overlooking modern Tel Aviv. Below is an excavation of three temples, a lower, a middle and an upper. This picture captures the middle level temple.
One has to be amazed at the patience and persistence of the archeological teams that clean away the debris to reveal these remarkable structures, but more importantly, one has to be in awe of the archticectural prowess of the people who designed and built these structures, essentially out of the stones and sands of the desert in which they found themselves. In another part of the museum was a display of the pots made during these times. They, too, reflect a pretty capable cadre of craftsmen and artisans that produced them.
My visit to Tel Aviv is about over. When I write next it will be from near Jerusalem. I finished a paper which reviewed one other of my "reads", Caplan's analysis of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. It is too early in my visit to be coming to conclusions about the conflict, but I can say that Caplan presented a very balanced and factual presentation of the issues. I can also say that it is a lot easier to grasp some of the points he makes when you can look out your window and see what he is talking about.
So, Shalom.
Dick
