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Museum Junkie: Museum of the Good Samaritan opens in Israel
One of the world's largest mosaic museums recently opened in Israel.
The Museum of the Good Samaritan displays artifacts from the many cultures that lived in the region. The main attractions are the intricate mosaics found in synagogues in the West Bank and Gaza.
The museum is located on the highway between Jerusalem and Jericho near the ancient town of Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank, believed to be the site of the inn where the parable of the Good Samaritan took place. According to the story, told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37) a man is beaten up by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road. Nobody will help him but a Samaritan, a member of a rival Jewish sect that was persecuted in ancient times. His act of mercy has become synonymous with the kindness of strangers and the ability of goodness to reach across social boundaries.
This being Israel, history is politics, and officials were quick to put a spin on the museum's opening. In an article in the Jerusalem Post, Knesset Speaker Reuvlen Rivlin said the museum underscores Israel's historic ties to the West Bank and Gaza and its devotion to keeping a presence in them. The Knesset is the Israeli parliament, and Rivlin is one of the most powerful members of the ruling Likud party, so his words carry significant political weight.
Some of the mosaics come from Samaritan synagogues, offering a rare look at a faith that few people know still exists.
Gallery: Ancient Mosaics
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Israel, Middle East
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