Israel to open King Herod exhibit
2013-01-15 22:10
Jerusalem - Israel's national museum is preparing an
exhibition on King Herod, the Jewish ruler under Roman occupation two millennia
ago.
The display, billed as the world's first on Herod,
includes a reconstructed tomb and sarcophagus of Herod, known for huge building
projects, including the biblical Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem.
The exhibit features about 30 tons of findings from his
lavish palaces.
Israel Museum director James Snyder said on Tuesday it's
the museum's largest and most expensive archaeological project to date.
The exhibit opens 12 February.
Palestinians object to the exhibit because it displays artefacts
from West Bank sites.
Archaeology official Hamdan Taha says the project was not
co-ordinated with the Palestinians and violates international law.
The museum says it will return the antiquities after the
exhibit closes in nine months.
- AP
