Biblical Museum of Natural History

Biblical Museum
of Natural History
Established 2014[1]
Location 5 Ha-Tzaba Street,
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Type Natural history
Director Natan Slifkin
Website BiblicalNaturalHistory.org

The Biblical Museum of Natural History, currently located in the northern industrial zone of Beit Shemesh, Israel, was founded in 2014 by Natan Slifkin, affectionately referred to as the "Zoo Rabbi."

Vision and purpose

The establishment describe itself as "part natural history museum, part zoo" and is meant to "enhance the appreciation and understanding of biblical scripture and Jewish tradition via the natural world."[2] Visitors are able to gain insight into the animals that lived in Israel during biblical times even if they no longer exist there now, such as bears and crocodiles.[3][4]

Visitors to the museum are currently directed by special tour by appointment only. Features include live animal, taxidermy and skeleton exhibits, as well as audio/visual presentations. Tour topics include unraveling incidents of misidentification of animals by biblical scholars of species mentioned in both the Five Books of Moses and the Talmud due to their lack of familiarity with different families that are not represented in places like Europe, where much of the Jewish medieval biblical commentary was written.

Complimentary text

Slifkin has authored the first volume of what will be a large collection of information related to the interplay of Judaism and zoology entitled The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom. The encyclopedia will attempt to cover all animals mentioned in the Jewish scripture and highlight little known historical facts such as population diversity and habitation during biblical times.[5]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Jerusalem Post 'Zoo rabbi' opens museum of biblical animals in Beit Shemesh, October 14, 2014
  2. ↑ Jewish Action On and Off the Beaten Track in...the Biblical Museum of Natural History, March 9, 2015
  3. ↑ JNS.org Hippos in Israel? New museum re-animates forgotten biblical wildlife, February 27, 2015
  4. ↑ JewishJournal.com To Animal Kingdom Come, March 11, 2015
  5. ↑ JewishStandard.com Where the Wild Things Are, July 30, 2015

External links

Coordinates: 31°45′15″N 34°59′43″E / 31.7542°N 34.9953°E / 31.7542; 34.9953

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