Evening star., 1954-01-10
Art News
Archaeological
Exhibition
By Florence S. Berrymon

GIOAu tklG 01A4u Va Vic 0A~
ble," q unique archaeological
exhibition. the first extensive
one Of its kind, tracing the
history Of man for more than
$4,000 years, and revealing the
life and times of the Biblical
era. will open today in the
foyer of the Natural History
building, United States Ma
tional Museum. to remain
through January q. It is pre-
sented by the American Fund
for Israel Institutions. found
ed IL years ago by Edward A.
Norman to aid leading cultural
and educational institutions in
Israel. DR.. Walter Moses, head
of the Museum Haaretz. Tel
Aviv. Israel, conceived the idea
of this exhibition.
OF more than 1900 items,
many were recently discovered,
and are shown for the first
time. The exhibition is COM.
posed of loans from many Is
rael museums. institutions and
private collectors, also muse
urns in the United States Gin
Guiding our Smithsonian In
stitution). Great Britain, Cam
ada and Belgium. The prepa-
ration and presentation of the
show required two years Of
dedicated work.
Deserves High Proise
From the Land of the BIZ
BILE" was on view four months
last summer at the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art. New York
City. I saw it there and can
not praise it too highly for its
absorbing interest. wide range,
skillful presentation, and the
manner In which it brings to
life and makes plausible. by
suggestive symbols and indi-
vidual objects. the actuality of
that distant past which we are
prone to regard as. stories in
Great Book.
For example. here are a
slingstone of the type David
used to slay Goliath, copper
ore from King Solomon's
mines, a 5.000-year-old sickle
made of flint inserted lin the
jawbone of an ass. This le-
thai weapon makes Samson's
Staying of 1000 PhiliStines
comprehensive. The stone
which closed a tomb like
Christ's sepulchre is wheel
shaped. indicating how it was
rolled aside. OF particular in
terest is the oldest known Bib
lical scroll, chapters from the
Book OF Isaiah, found in a
cave near the Dead Sea in
1947.
No Craven Imoee'
The interest of the exhibi-
ton, IS indicated by the above
examples, is ethnographic,
historical, social and literary
rather than esthetic. The
Jewish culture is literary
rather than artistic until re-
cent times. The Jewish people
followed the commandment to
make no craven image.
Nevertheless, there are many
art objects in the exhibition.
1t traces the life of the people
of Biblical times through
their arts and crafts. illus
trateS the story of the struggle
Of Judaeo-Christian Mono
theiSm against paganism. On
display are tools. weapons,
pottery. lamps, statuary, metal
work, jewelry and mosaicS.
Furthermore the history of
the Jewish people was inter-
woven with that of other ma
tions, particularly Egypt, AS
syria. Babylonia, Greece and
Rome. Among many objects
representing nations which
played centuries long roles in
Israel's history are a seal from
the time of Rameses II, the
Pharaoh during Moses life: q
golden diadem worn by the
Greek high priest of the KY.
belle cult. engraved with i'm.
ages of the Olymplan deities;
an intricately carved bronze
figure of a boyish Byzantine
ruler in ceremonial dress, and
a marble bust of the Emperor
Julian. A bit of sculpture
from a classic tomb shows the
. deceased feasting in a happy
after-life. with the inscrip-
tion. "Antonius! Be Carefree!
FareWell!'
Louis NJ. Rabinowitz. chair
man of the Exhibition Com
mittee, stressed the educa-
tional value of the collection
and expressed the hope that
both public and parochial
schools would take advantage
of special free lecture tours
offered by the fund.