History. Culture. Experience

What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us? Roman Technology in the Service of Jerusalem
Dr. David Gorvitz, University of Haifa
May 27, 2025 | Wednesday | At 19:00 | Included in museum admission | Hebrew
Lecture in conjunction with the exhibition “As Soon as the War Is Over”
In this lecture, we will embark on an investigative journey following ancient aqueducts.
We will explore the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, a contemporary of Augustus, who describes Roman water-engineering technologies.
We will examine the measuring instruments that enabled water to be transported from distant springs, and then turn to Jerusalem of that period to study the aqueducts that supplied the city: where the water came from, where it was directed, and how recent excavations and findings are reshaping previously accepted scholarly maps.

Life Under the Bomb: Assyrian Conquests and Their Consequences
Prof. Avraham Faust, Bar-Ilan University
June 17, 2025 | Wednesday | At 19:00 | Included in museum admission | Hebrew
Lecture in conjunction with the exhibition “As Soon as the War Is Over”
The aggressive Assyrian expansion across large parts of the Land of Israel was accompanied by widespread destruction and a sharp demographic decline. In vassal kingdoms beyond the imperial border, such as Judah and Philistia, the economy may have flourished; however, textual and archaeological evidence indicates that life under Assyrian dominance created a profound sense of insecurity. This may help explain some of the cultural and religious changes that took place during this period.