Ashkelon

A wide-ranging selection of marble statues, coins, jewelry, figurines, and pottery are displayed together for the first time in this comprehensive exhibition devoted to ancient Ashkelon, whose history spans 5,000 years. Situated at the crossroads of major land and sea routes, Ashkelon, with its bustling port, was a meeting ground for many peoples and cultures, from Canaanites, Philistines, and Phoenicians to Greeks, Romans, and Crusaders. The artifacts on display were found over the course of two centuries of archaeological excavation, including three decades of intensive investigation by the Leon Levy Expedition. Highlights include a silver calf found in a Canaanite temple adjacent to the oldest arched gate in the world and Egyptian ritual vessels (situlae) from the period of the city’s destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.