The Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel will be an open house for visitors from Israel and abroad and an educational center for students who will be able to see firsthand the cultural treasures that were excavated and discovered in Israel during the past centuries.
The campus, which covers an approximate area of 36,000 square meters, designed by architecture Moshe Safdie, is a unique architectural gem, illustrating the archaeological excavation process – a stretched ‘transparent’ roof that simulates the tent-like canopies used to shade archaeological excavations, conveys rainwater to a pool situated in a courtyard below, and creates a flowing cascade of water. Three levels descending like the strata in an archaeological excavation contain three large courtyards, impressive display galleries, storerooms, and bridges that look out over the laboratories and the variety of artifacts that are housed in the campus, among them the National Library for the Archaeology of Israel.
For the first time, the general public will be able to participate in the fascinating process of archaeological conservation, which until now took place behind-the-scenes, and experience the rich history of the peoples and cultures that lived here hundreds and thousands of years ago.