Israel Museum

The museum's original 20-acre campus was designed in 1965 by architects Alfred Mansfeld and Dora Gad. Their design was inspired by the image of an Arab village sprawled across a mountainside, utilizing a matrix of modular, low-rise pavilions made of cast-in-place concrete clad in limestone. A distinctive feature is the Shrine of the Book, designed by Frederick Kiesler and Armand Bartos, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls under a white-tiled dome reflected in a surrounding water pool. In 2010, the museum underwent a $100 million expansion and renovation led by James Carpenter Design Associates and Efrat-Kowalsky Architects. This project added glass pavilions and an underground passageway, enhancing accessibility while paying homage to the original Modernist scheme.

The museum's holdings are vast and diverse, anchored by the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are displayed in a rotation system due to their fragility. The Shmuel and Sadie Bronfman Department of Archaeology features the Sennacherib prism and approximately 8,000 artifacts detailing the region's history. A major attraction is the Model of Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple, a 2,000-square-meter reconstruction of the ancient city. The Edmond and Lily Safra Wing for the Arts spans ten departments covering European classics, contemporary Israeli art, and non-Western cultures. The Billy Rose Art Garden, designed by Isamu Noguchi, displays sculptures by artists such as Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, and Pablo Picasso.

The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mendel Department of Jewish Art and Culture offers a comprehensive journey through Jewish identity, featuring illuminated manuscripts, rare ceremonial objects, and four reconstructed synagogue interiors from around the world. The department integrates objects from both public and private realms to explore the social context and aesthetic qualities of Jewish life. The Information Center supports this wing with a unique archival collection of approximately 20,000 photographs documenting Jewish communities globally, including rare images of synagogues and cemeteries that no longer exist. This wing underscores the museum's commitment to preserving the heritage of the past while highlighting creative innovations.

The Israel Museum is significant not only for its collections but for its role as a bridge between cultures and generations. The Ruth Youth Wing, established in 1966, engages over 100,000 schoolchildren annually, fostering intercultural understanding between Arab and Jewish students through art education. The museum operates with a unique financial model, receiving only 10–12% of its operating budget from state sources, relying heavily on private donations and international support groups like the American Friends of the Israel Museum. Its status as a leading global museum is reinforced by its architectural landmark status in Jerusalem and its continuous evolution through major renovations and new acquisitions.