Join us

Join the Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority in New York for a special two-part Lunch and Learn. First, we will be treated to a private guided tour of NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World’s upcoming exhibit, A Wonder to Behold: Craftsmanship and the Creation of Babylon's Ishtar Gate given by Clare Fitzgerald, Associate Director for Exhibitions. Following a light buffet lunch, Pnina Shor, the head of the Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) Dead Sea Scrolls Unit will speak on The Dead Sea Scrolls: From the Caves to the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely considered to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in modern times. The scrolls represent the oldest written record of the Old Testament and contain the earliest copies of every book of the Hebrew Bible, except for the Book of Esther. The “Ancient Library" of scrolls gives insight into centuries pivotal to both Judaism and Christianity. These remarkable finds have greatly enriched our knowledge of the people in the Land of Israel as well as of the origins of Judaism and early Christianity.

This event includes complimentary admission to the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and a light lunch served prior to the lecture. Please RSVP to reserve your place.

While this event is made complimentary by the Friends of the IAA, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution here.

Pnina Shor at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2018.

Pnina Shor

Pnina Shor has been the head of the IAA's Dead Sea Scrolls Unit since its inception in 2010. She oversees the curatorship, conservation, preservation, exhibition and digitization of the IAA's more than 25,000 scroll fragments. Pnina began her career at the IAA as a field archaeologist, and later became the head of the IAA's Department for the Treatment and Conservation of Artifacts prior to her current position.

A Wonder to Behold: Craftsmanship and the Creation of Babylon's Ishtar Gate

Featuring close to 150 brightly-colored large and small scale artworks from across the ancient Near East, together with raw materials in a variety of stages of workmanship, the exhibition considers the creation of sacred spaces and objects. The tour will be led by Clare Fitzgerald, ISAW’s Associate Director for Exhibitions and Gallery Curator.

Clare Fitzgerald

With a PhD in Art History from Emory University (Atlanta), Claire Fitgerald is a Senior Manager of Educational Programs at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Her academic background is in Egyptology, and she has worked as a Fellow at the American Research Center in Egypt and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was also a Guest Curator at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute (Utica, NY), and the Newark Museum.