The Rockefeller Museum was formerly known as the Archaeological Museum of Palestine. Located in East Jerusalem in the Arab neighborhoods, he has Israel's largest collection of ancient artifacts.

The emergence of such a Museum in British mandate Palestine, created as an outcome of the First world, it was inevitable: the British school of archaeology undertook intensive excavations in the Holy land, rich in monuments of different civilizations. In the same direction worked for the Jewish national Fund, engaged in the land acquisition for the resettlement arriving in Palestine of the Jews. In 1906, the Foundation began negotiating to buy for the future Museum of the land in the North-East of the Old city.

Britain supported the idea and even introduced in 1924 a special tourist tax for the development of the project. But the reality of it was only when an American philanthropist and billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated two million dollars, an incredible sum at the end of the twenties of the XX century.

The building project was designed by the British architect Austen Harrison. He seamlessly combines Eastern and Western architecture, skillfully used local white limestone. The appearance of your building is reminiscent of a European castle with a Central tower, but doors, Windows, arcades of the patio is undoubtedly of Eastern origin.

To the public the Museum opened in 1938. After the war of independence Israel 1948 he was on the territory controlled by Jordan. In 1967, during the six day war, the building was in the epicenter of fierce fighting, the tower was an observation post of the Israeli paratroopers.

Now the Museum's collection includes thousands of artifacts spanning a period of two million years. Much of the exposition is formed of findings twenties-thirties of the last century, discovered in Jerusalem, Megiddo, Jericho, Samaria. These are statues, sarcophagi, weapons, mosaics, coins, jewelry, ceramics – beginning with prehistoric times and ending with the Ottoman period (until 1917). One of the most valuable exhibits – carved wooden panels from the al-Aqsa mosque (VIII century). In VI century mosaic floor from the synagogue in Ein Gedi – cursed is the one who "neglects his family, provokes conflicts, stealing, slanders friends or reveals the secrets of balm Ein Gedi". A unique exhibit – letter to the military in the ancient Hebrew, referring to the era of the Babylonian invasion (VI century BC).

Impressive interiors and architectural decoration of the building itself. Specially made in England heavy doors made of Turkish walnut weigh three quarters of a ton each. Courtyard, fringed with graceful arches, reminiscent of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The bas-reliefs of the work of British sculptor Eric Gill, are placed on the inner walls of the courtyard, on the peoples who lived in different centuries the Holy land: from hananasif to the Turks. Floors of exhibition halls with British care is lined with balsa wood, silencing the sound of footsteps.