Our popular lecture series resumes with fascinating talks on topics of archaeology, history, anthropology and biblical narratives, to be delivered by senior museum staff and prominent academic scholars. Most lectures will focus on bird-related themes, on the occasion of our special exhibition “Early Birds: Soaring with the Ancients.”
Wednesdays at 19:00 | Included in Museum entrance | Program in Hebrew
17/11/21 – The Eagle and the Flies : The Image of the Roman Eagle, Dr. Guy Stiebel, Tel Aviv University, Hebrew
The eagle was the symbol of Jupiter, the father of the gods, as well as the symbol of the Roman legions and of Rome itself.
In the lecture, we will consider the various manifestations of the famous symbol until modern times, will focus on its representations in the civilian world and military spheres, and will ask a question that intrigued the ancient Romans: was the eagle bothered by the mosquitoes?
1/12/21-Hanukkah – no program
8/12/21 “As an eagle stirs up her nest” – on vultures, eagles and other birds in ancient Jewish art, Dr. Noa Hacham, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, Hebrew
The lecture deals with the images of predatory and other birds etched on stone and incorporated in mosaics in ancient synagogues. We will examine the symbolic and decorative aspects of these images, and inspect the link between them and the structure of the synagogue, as well as its ritual and liturgical significance.
Dr. Noa Yuval Hacham is a lecturer at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and undertakes research into Jewish and Land of Israel art in the late ancient period, as well as the interaction between the various cultures
15/12/21 – New Findings from the Excavation at Khirbet Heiya and from a Survey in Southern Shomron, Dr. Dvir Raviv, Bar Ilan university, Hebrew
22/12/21 – Birds of Song and Poetry – Birds that Work Magic in Early and Modern Hebrew Poetry, Dr. Elisheva Hacohen, Ariel University, Hebrew
29/12/21- As Birds Hovering: Birds and Other Animals in the Book of Isaiah, Dr Yisca Zimran, Bar Ilan university, Hebrew
The lecture deals with the image of animals, especially birds, in Isaiah. It provides us with a glimpse into the worldview of the prophet Isaiah the son of Amotz, particularly the figure of God he instills in these images. The prism of animal imagery also makes it possible to expand the perspective and place the prophet’s ideology in its extra-Biblical cultural context, assess the ideological changes occurring within the pages of the Book of Isaiah, and highlight the main differences between it and other books of the prophets.
Dr. Yisca Zimran is a lecturer in the Bible Department of Bar Ilan University. Her research deals with Biblical and Prophetic narrative. She undertakes literary and rhetorical analysis of these texts, dealing with the interconnection between the formulation of the text and its ideological content.
The museum operates in accordance with the “Green Pass” regulations. Entry is allowed on presentation of a certificate of vaccination, recovery or a negative result of a coronavirus test, along with an ID.
The above does not apply to children under 3 years old. A test can be taken at the rapid testing station of Magen David Adom.
