You don’t have to dig deep in Israel to find evidence of its rich and exciting history. You can find Roman amphitheaters, Crusader castles, Herodian palaces, and ancient tombs all over the country. But history is not a dead subject in Israel – history lives!
Interactive Museums – Ancient & Modern
Ancient history comes to life at Timna Park where copper has been mined since ancient Egyptian times. Multimedia displays describe the amazing history of the site, together with stories of Egyptian Pharoahs and Goddesses.
If you would like to meet the patriarchs, head to Eretz Bereshit – Genesis Land – near Maale Adumim and you will find Abraham sitting outside his tent waiting to greet visitors! You can learn how to bake bread according to his recipe, and wear authentic costumes to ride his camels across the desert landscape.
“Lost in the Museum” is a weekend activity for families at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. Children and their parents can dress up and explore ancient civilizations, following clues to help a princess and a wizard to find hidden treasures and unlock ancient spells and mysterious papyrus writings among the exhibits.
At the Tower of David Museum, located near the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem, children can explore a real medieval citadel and discover its hidden passages. They are invited to hold 3D models and touch stones from the times of Judah Maccabee, King Herod and the Crusaders. Families can follow a self-guided activity tour in English to unravel its history at their own pace.
Living History
There are a number of exciting museums where you can experience the birth of the modern state of Israel. The Herzl Museum invites you to sit in the audience at the Zionist Congress and listen to highlights of Theodor Herzl’s seminal speeches about creating the state of Israel. At the Palmach Museum you can join a band of Israeli freedom fighters as they prepare to defend the Jewish state. In the Atlit Detainee Camp Museum, a multimedia exhibit follows the journey of European immigrants to Israel during and after World War 2. Interactive displays at Bet Hatfutsot – the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv – describe the stories of different diaspora communities and their journeys to Israel.
History Reenactments in Israel
During the festival of Succot (from September 24 – October 1 in 2018), many historical sites around Israel host festivals with live actors re-enacting historic events and demonstrating how people once lived in that place. Experience Caesarea in the Roman times, the Crusader battle at Tel Megiddo, the Nabatean market at Mamsheet, or a pilgrimage to the Temple at Shilo. Actors in costume will accompany you on your journey around each site, recreating the sights, sounds and smells of ancient times and bringing history to life.
Talk to Shatour Israel about how you can include history re-enactment events in your Succot Israel tour, or include visits to other interactive sites around Israel at any time.