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The Terra Sancta Museum is a museum in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It’s located at the Monastery of the Flagellation along the Via Dolorosa.
Visiting the Terra Sancta Museum
The Terra Sancta Museum is open daily. Adult admission is ₪15 (as of May 2023) and only cash is accepted. As of May 2023, only the multimedia and archaeological sections are open to the public. The museum is housed in ancient structures from different periods of history, including a Byzantine cistern, 12th century Crusader rooms, and a 13-14th century Mamluk courtyard.
Sections
The Terra Sancta Museum has three sections. They chronicle the artistic, historical, and religious history of the Christian faith and the Via Dolorosa. The archaeological and multimedia sections are at the Monastery of the Flagellation while the historical section is at St. Saviour Monastery in the Christian Quarter.
The multimedia section, which opened in March 2016, covers 2000 years of history in Jerusalem in 15 minutes through digital animation and narration. The multimedia section is housed in a cistern. We didn’t visit this part of the museum.
The archaeological section, which opened in June 2018, displays objects discovered in places mentioned in the Gospels. The objects were discovered by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (SBF) over several years of archaeological expeditions throughout the Holy Land. Only the New Testament section is open and the other half, which will chronicle important moments in the life of Jesus, is under construction (as of May 2023).
The historical section, which is under construction and expected to open in 2025 or 2026 (as of May 2023), will display gifts from European royalty to the Holy Land.
Archaeological Section
The collection in the archaeological section starts with several interesting pieces, such as votives and oil lamps, mosaic panels, and funerary steles.
One room includes items used in daily life during the time of Christ. These include glasswares from Capernaum, fishing hooks, buttons and thread, coins, simple tools, and more.
At the back of the same room is a case containing jewelry as well as a stone basin used for purification rituals and ossuaries found at the Mount of Olives.
Herodium
Continuing to the next room are finds from the Herodium, which was a palace and fortress built by Herod the Great between 23 and 15 BC. It was destroyed by the Romans in 71 AD. The Herodium is located in the West Bank, 12 kilometers (7 ½ miles) south of Jerusalem and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) southeast of Bethlehem. Items include wooden bowls and plates, coins, ancient seeds, architectural decorations, and more.
Crusader and Mamluk Construction
The final part of the archaeological section passed through a 12th century Crusader room and a 13-14th century Mamluk courtyard. The Crusader room was probably a warehouse while the courtyard may have been part of a wealthy residence.
My Thoughts
Overall, despite it not being 100% operational, we enjoyed our visit to the Terra Sancta Museum. The displays were very nicely presented and there was plenty of information available. It was also interesting to walk through the ancient structures. I hope to see the rest of the archaeological section on my next visit to Jerusalem. I also look forward to visiting the historical section when it opens.
