Historical and Archaeological Museum of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) is located in Ramat Aviv. In its exhibition halls focused exhibits on land Israel millennia.

The museum was founded in 1953, just five years after the establishment of the State of Israel. Its pavilions are located in the garden, each devoted to a different theme: ceramics, coins, copper, glass. In a special pavilion demonstrates the ancient methods of weaving, baking, jewelry and pottery crafts. But the main thing here - a great number of archaeological artifacts, some of which are unique.

The emergence of the museum is connected with the name of the elders of Israel, archaeologists Benjamin Mazar, who began searching for hidden in the Holy Land antiquities in 1932. That he was the first newly created Jewish state has allowed in 1948 to start excavations at Tel Casilla on the banks of the Yarkon River. More in 1815, socialite and traveler Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope argued that in this place was the ancient settlement. Lady was not mistaken. Benjamin Mazar found the ruins of the Philistine city of the XII century BC. Now the pit in the museum you can see the artifacts of twelve different cultural layers, until the Islamic era.

Here are revealed the remains of the ancient walls of the three temples built one on top of another. Walls - from sun-dried brick, covered with light plaster, inside the walls - the low benches. Close to houses built to the same standard, their area of ​​approximately 100 square meters each - two rooms and a courtyard.

The exhibits provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the progress of one of the first technological revolution in the history of humanity, marked by the development of copper. Chalcolithic (the era of the transition from the Stone Age to the copper) refers to the IV millennium BC. That is the age of primitive smelting furnace represented in the museum. By the XIII-XIV centuries BC are better cupola furnaces. In those days, the Egyptians smelted copper in what is now Israel, left them there are many copper statues and cartouches.

Of particular interest is a copper snake with gilded head - like mentioned in the Old Testament, in the Book of Numbers. When the Jews of the Exodus began to suffer from poisonous snakes, as directed by God, Moses raised the serpent of brass, when you look at where he lived bitten. Over time, the Israelites began to worship this idol, giving it the name Nehushtan, then King Hezekiah "brazen serpent" (4Tsar 18: 4). The pavilion dedicated to Copper Age, and is called - "Nehushtan."

The museum has one of the largest numismatic collections in Israel: then presented coins, since the VI century BC. The pavilion dedicated to crafts, exhibits tools from all epochs: flint knives, mill, loom, tools for woodworking. With products Late Bronze Age begins collection of glass pavilion. Funny Roman glass perfume bottles, very similar to the modern.