Common to all of the objects, which span from the Prehistoric to the Islamic period, is the focus on ritual and religion. In contrast to modern art, ancient art was not a form of personal expression; it did not reflect the worldview of the individual, but rather that of the community. As such, it mainly served religion, mediating between the believer and his god/s. Thus the objects displayed in the exhibition are a primary source for understanding the beliefs of the inhabitants of the Land of Israel over the centuries.
The depictions of humans in ancient times resemble those of the gods, their creators. Thus, for the modern viewer, it is not always easy to distinguish between human and divine. The objects in the Beliefs and Believers exhibition include statues of life-like figures that represent both gods and immortals, such as the image of the storm god standing on a bull from the 13th century BCE, vessel-shaped images representing worshipers from the Iron Age (First Temple Period), and magnificent stone statues of the Greek and Roman gods.
In order to shed light on ritual form in ancient times, the exhibition includes a variety of ceremonial objects including a 9,000 year-old Neolithic mask used as a part of rites for the deceased, clay musicians participating in a religious ceremony from the Iron Age, an altar depicting the Roman wine god Dionysus, and Byzantine 'magical' plaques that were used to ward off demons and evil spirits from the home. -- www.imj.org.il
