Dr. Oded Shay – Track, view and tribunal: The Sanhedrin path as an open museum that expresses the world of sages in the period of the Mishnah and the Talmud
Track, Exhibition and Court: The Sanhedrin Trail as an open museum expressing the world of the Sages in the Mishna and Talmud
Dr. Oded Shay - Ariel University School of Architecture
One of the definitions for the museum is: 'A place where people collect and display excerpts of their past, their world, their dreams and their perception of their lives. The museum represents the commitment of people to discover and remember who they are, where they came from, and what their nature is. ' [1] In addition, there is an open museum concept that, by definition, is a type of open-air museum that houses collections of historic buildings and objects brought to it. In doing so, its founders preserve the values they have chosen to pass on to future generations. The Open Museum, much like a museum located in a closed building, serves as an intermediary agent who conveys the historical story and carries the world of the ideas of its founders not by conventional means, but by using other means: an artifact, an archeological exhibit, the reconstruction of the site itself, symbols and more. [2] The Sanhedrin Trail meets this definition, as it has landmarks in the history of the Sanhedrin that showcase it with archaeological and historical finds and sites.
Open museums include historical and ethnographic museums, which display cultural and living history. This includes a view of life as it was in the past. These museums often include exhibits and even performers presenting the daily life, crafts and pursuits of the past in the decor, costumes and tools of the relevant period. Some include old houses and buildings, sometimes those that represent the geographical area where the museum is located. The museum's exhibitions are often intended to present the lives of the different strata of the population at a time when the museum is focused.
There are many open museums in the world, beginning in the late 19th century in Scandinavia. The precursors of the open museum were displays that were customary to be erected in parks in the 18th century such as the "exotic" pavilion, the "ancient" temple, the so-called ancient "ruins" and more. The world's first open museum in modern times was the collection of Oscar II, King of Sweden, near Oslo in Norway which opened in 1881. The initial design included buildings designed to showcase the development of traditional Norwegian buildings since the Middle Ages. There are a number of open museums in the country: the Clore Science Park at the Weizmann Institute, "The Generations Road" near the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa and more.
In this lecture, I will present a selection of open museums in Israel and around the world in comparison with the Sanhedrin Trail. I will discuss the concepts, meaning and tools for building the Sanhedrin Trail and open museums in the educational, tourism and cultural heritage that led to this.