Timetable
Description
The written word has shaped Jewish history for three thousand years — from a scroll copied in the Judean desert to the illuminated Haggadot of Renaissance Italy.
This 2 hour 15 minute tour follows that thread through the Israel Museum, including the Shrine of the Book and the Great Isaiah Scroll — one of the oldest and most complete biblical manuscripts in existence.
We’ll dig into Isaiah’s own turbulent era, the Assyrian crisis under King Hezekiah, and what the archaeology wing reveals about a Jerusalem under attack. From there we trace how the written word evolved: illuminated medieval manuscripts, printed Haggadot, and the surprising, wonderful story of Megillot Esther handwritten by Italian Jewish women — all on view in the Jewish Art and Life wing, alongside the model of Second Temple Jerusalem.
Please note: access to the Great Isaiah Scroll display is limited to 25 visitors at a time, so entry is coordinated in stages rather than as one group — this is why the tour has a capped group size.
Tour is wheelchair/stroller accessible. Designed for adults; teens are welcome to join.
Admission is included at a discounted rate.
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