How Israel safeguards archaeological treasures amid Iranian attacks

In the midst of unprecedented attacks against Israel, museums across the country face the dual challenge of safeguarding some of humanity’s most invaluable artifacts while also ensuring the safety of their staff and the public.

As the museums contend with missile-warning sirens and the ever-present threat of destruction, their dedication to cultural preservation shines through.

Yet, the emotional toll, logistical complexities, and delicate decisions that must be made are as much a part of the process as the physical care of the objects.

Museum staff members across Israeli institutions face the challenge of protecting some of the most important artifacts of humankind, many of which were among items left behind by people across Israel and the Middle East, as conflict drove them from their homes, just as Iranian missiles drove Israelis nationwide to evacuate after their homes were destroyed, taking with them only the most essential items.

At the Bible Lands Museum, situated in the heart of Jerusalem, the staff knows that at any moment, it might need to act swiftly.

Curators and conservators are trained to preserve and protect the museum’s collection of over 12,000 objects, but during times of conflict, the stakes are even higher. As rockets and missiles head toward Israel, decisions must be made within moments.

This preparation has become part of the museum’s standard operating procedure, where lists of objects are constantly updated to ensure that the most fragile and valuable pieces are prioritized for removal in the event of an attack.

The museum’s emergency protocol is a constant work in progress. Under the direction of Sue Vukosavovic, the museum’s exhibitions coordinator and office manager, who has worked at the museum for 33 years, as well as Timna Elper Sarafian, the museum’s conservator, and curator Dr. Yigal Bloch, detailed lists have been compiled.

Significant changes have been made since the recent conflict first escalated. Items were divided up in an emergency protocol, ranked high priority, rare, irreplaceable, and organics, the curators explained.

Vukosavovic said that moving all items is not an option. Among the 1,400 items in the museum’s permanent exhibit, only 298 were fully evacuated. Their priority levels helped determine the pieces moved.

“We learned the hard way when we had to remove the ivories from our gallery upstairs, and we decided to make it easier to remove quickly,” she said.

This reflects the delicate nature of some of the objects on display. Organic materials, like ivory, wood, and textiles, are particularly susceptible to damage from environmental changes or physical movement. Hence, prioritizing such items for removal becomes paramount when disaster strikes.

Among the hundreds of objects on the museum’s list, many of the most fragile are irreplaceable.

“Ivories, rare and important ivory decorations from northern Syria.... They are organic. They can be burned,” Vukosavovic noted. Their fragility means that they are among the first to be carefully moved to safer storage.

Other objects, such as cuneiform tablets and Egyptian papyri, which document ancient cultures, are also at the top of the list. These items, though sturdy, are also of significant historical and scholarly importance.

They are moved with care, often requiring specialized techniques, such as horizontal placement to prevent any undue stress that could cause irreversible damage.

Another such preserved exhibition, kept in safety, is the art from the “Kuma (Arise)” exhibit, which showcases artwork and poetry of fallen soldier Eitan Dov Rosenzweig, a 21-year-old artist who tragically fell in battle on October 7.

“That is irreplaceable, and he’s not with us today,” Levitt stated.

The logistical challenges of moving items under threat of an attack are further complicated by the absence of trained engineers or art handlers.

In an emergency, there is no time to call in experts. The staff must rely on its experience and knowledge of the artifacts’ needs.

Yet, despite these challenges, it has devised methods to protect as many objects as possible. “We have lists printed out, safeguarded in places in the museum, so if we don’t have electricity, we still have access to them,” curator Elper Sarafian said.

This preparedness has become a lifeline, ensuring that even in the event of a power outage or communication failure, the staff can quickly access vital information about the artifacts’ whereabouts and handling requirements.

The emotional burden of protecting these treasures is not lost on the museum staff. “You have an emotional [connection]... you have pieces that you love. You love them all. You want to take them all down, but you can’t,” Vukosavovic admitted.

These artifacts are not just ancient objects; they are part of a living history. For many of the museum’s staff, the responsibility to preserve these pieces is both a professional and personal commitment.

“We want to ensure that these objects endure for another 1,000 or 2,000 years, so we can continue learning from them,” Levitt stated emotionally.

“Seeing how quickly everything can vanish, with so little left behind, makes you realize just how incredible it is that we still have this collection. It’s a tremendous responsibility to care for it.”

The emotional toll deepens when it comes to selecting which items to move. The sheer number of priceless objects in the museum means that decisions must be made carefully and based on the items’ vulnerability.

Some objects are simply too large or too delicate to be moved. “We have large, heavy stone blocks... it’s difficult to move them,” Vukosavovic said. In those cases, staff must make the difficult decision to leave them behind, hoping that no harm comes to them.

This responsibility weighs heavily on the curators, as many understand that they are not only protecting the objects but also the stories and cultures they represent. The act of safeguarding these items becomes a profound act of memory preservation.

“It’s a tremendous sense of responsibility... to take care of these objects that, through fluke or by accident, or by [the efforts of] someone... we have the ability to preserve and make sure that they live on,” one curator reflected.

JUST NEXT door, the Israel Museum made its own arrangements for its most irreplaceable items: including but not limited to the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of, if not the most important artifact in the Judeo-Christian world.

“Our paramount concern was the unparalleled Dead Sea Scrolls, recognized globally not only for their immense historical and religious significance but also for their fragility,” Gitler told the Post.

Simultaneously, a meticulously prepared list of other designated National Treasures in several different wings of the museum was addressed.

“The process involved highly trained museum staff carefully removing each object from its permanent display case. These precious artifacts were then securely transported to the museum’s underground vaults.

Our National Treasures will remain securely housed in these vaults until the geopolitical situation stabilizes and our expert conservators and curators determine it is entirely safe and appropriate for their reinstallation in the public galleries,” he stated.

Although things were dangerous outside amid missile-warning sirens due to Iranian launches, Hagit Maoz, curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls permanent exhibit, made her way to the museum. The Shrine of the Book, where the scrolls are housed, has its own specific protocol.

“I got the phone call... and I told my two boys what to do if there was another alarm.... It was really dangerous, but I have the responsibility of the scrolls.”

The curator arrived at the museum in the early afternoon, when it was still too risky to travel. Yet, due to the importance of the scrolls, they had to be removed immediately.

“The scrolls are the first to go down [into storage].... It was obvious that I had to take them,” the curator explained.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, fragile and ancient, require the utmost care in handling. Stored in a special room with strict temperature and humidity controls, these manuscripts are among the most significant artifacts in the museum’s collection.

“[The scrolls] must be horizontal at all times,” the curator said, stressing that even the slightest misstep could damage them. The shrine’s strong room is equipped with state-of-the-art preservation technology, but even that cannot eliminate the inherent risks of moving such delicate pieces.

Yet, the challenge of protecting these objects goes beyond physical storage. The tension between preservation and public exhibition is a constant theme. The curator explained the dilemma of balancing the museum’s mission to educate and inspire the public with the need to protect these fragile pieces:

“Archaeology is to show people the objects... but the scrolls need complete darkness and no visitors for their preservation,” she added.

The Israel Museum, like the Bible Lands Museum and countless other Israeli archaeological institutions, has struggled with this delicate balance, particularly when considering exhibitions and loans from other countries.

This sense of uncertainty is ever-present in times of conflict. The museum staff cannot afford to be complacent, as every day brings new risks.

“You’re always thinking of what could be, the worst that could happen,” she added. “These creations, this museum, are meant for everyone. We just want peace,” Maoz proclaimed passionately.

ACCORDING TO the Israel Antiquities Authority, it is working with relevant bodies to safeguard archaeological finds in a sensitive time.

It said that hundreds of crates filled with sensitive archaeological finds have been moved to a national security campus in the capital for improved protection.

It added that the IAA “will continue to cooperate with cultural and heritage institutions throughout the country and do our utmost to protect the cultural heritage assets of the Land of Israel.”

The future of cultural preservation in Israel is undeniably intertwined with the ongoing conflict. As both the Bible Lands Museum and the Israel Museum have demonstrated, the preservation of these objects is not simply a matter of logistics; it is a question of resilience, duty, and emotional investment.

Museum staffs are not merely caretakers of ancient relics; they are the custodians of history, tasked with ensuring that the stories these objects tell continue to be heard by future generations.

Despite the constant threat, these institutions remain dedicated to their mission. They are not just protecting artifacts, but safeguarding the cultural legacy of humanity in the face of profound adversity.