The rope sling tightens the ancient sarcophagus, which is lifted and placed on its pedestal in the center of the Hall dedicated to Dominus Flevit. The large 6th-century mosaic found under the Terra Sancta School in Bethlehem, not far from the Basilica of the Nativity, is carefully hoisted up and finally secured to the wall. The display cases are set up, the last pieces are filed, the lights are set up, and the Terra Sancta Museum is ready to open the new "Saller Wing," from which visitors will begin their journey among the archaeological treasures unearthed in the excavations of the Custody of the Holy Land. DANIELA MASSARA Curator archaeological collections Terra Sancta Museum - SBF Archaeological Museum We start from the Hall of Nazareth to get to Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulcher, then from the beginning of Jesus' life on earth, also with some materials from Bethlehem. Then we focus on the excavations of the Franciscans in Galilee: we have materials from Nazareth, Cana and Tabgha. The route arrives, through the desert of Judah, at Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and then at the shrine of Dominus Flevit. DANIELA MASSARA Curator archaeological collections Terra Sancta Museum - SBF Archaeological Museum Here Franciscans found the largest first-century AD Roman necropolis in the Jerusalem area. Hundreds of ossuaries were discovered with various inscriptions in both Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Being able to display these materials will surely stimulate not only enthusiasts, but also scholars, and we hope it will attract the attention of many people. Some original pieces of the central arch of the Crusader cathedral and copies of the capitals were recovered from Nazareth, which are very valuable as they restore the entire sculptural apparatus, which in the originals has deteriorated. The highlight is the "monumental" room of the Holy Sepulcher. Br EUGENIO ALLIATA, ofm General Director Terra Sancta Museum - SBF Archaeological Museum A series of large columns, capitals, architectural elements, and mosaics are reconstructed, which previously were hardly visible to anyone. We present them all together, neatly. Those who come here will be able to say that they are among the authentic pieces of the Holy Sepulcher. The result is the fruit of a long work of restoration and refitting of the Museum, which began more than a decade ago, and since 2018 has involved this wing in particular, with the involvement of many workers, mostly Italian professionals, and local firms and restorers. Arch GIOVANNI TORTELLI Construction management, GTRF associated architects The project made it possible to recover a great many materials that were scattered throughout the area and make them active participants in a very important historical-archaeological-Christian narrative. It is the findings that speak and communicate to the visitor, even before the educational apparatuses. So their arrangement is crucial. Ancient environments, confined spaces, a small surface area forced the workers to do a lot of design and survey work, but also to imagine solutions. Arch GIOVANNI TORTELLI Construction management, GTRF associated architects Within the old city, there is no possibility to expand very much, but here the spaces were very high: we doubled the surface by making a mezzanine floor but keeping two full-height spaces to be able to display the most monumental artifacts. The cladding and furnishings are made of aluminum by a specialized company, again overcoming some challenges. GERMANO CROSATO Lamp Arredo srl You have to have studied everything beforehand to be able to produce things that then fit to the millimeter. The layout also has to take into account the passages and constraints here in the building and the problem of shipping, because we can't make very large crates-we have to go through the Lion's Gate, which has relatively small dimensions. With its new face, the Museum fits into an ancient history and wants to continue the tradition. Br EUGENIO ALLIATA, ofm General Director Terra Sancta Museum - SBF Archaeological Museum One of the first tasks is to preserve things and second is to enable their study. We have tried to preserve things from the archaeological excavations in the Holy Places and to allow anyone to study them. We want the Museum to continue to do this valuable scientific and communication service. Read More