Israeli Museums Transfer Their Artistic Treasures to Underground Shelters

Renowned museums in Israel quickly took action to protect their most valuable artworks and ancient treasures following the Hamas militants' attack on the country in the early hours of October 7. According to Reuters, the 'Dead Sea Scrolls,' ancient Hebrew manuscripts borrowed from the Louvre in Paris, a 1916 masterpiece by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, and other valuable works were swiftly moved to special shelters to ensure they would not be damaged during rocket attacks on Israel. Hagit Maoz, curator of the 'Book Shrine,' a branch of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, stated, 'Removing works from an exhibition is something that is usually not done because we trust the [sturdiness] of the building, we trust the safety of the showcases. But this situation is different. Therefore, we must act accordingly.' The iconic building of this museum, designed in the shape of jars in which the 'Dead Sea Scrolls' were found, is often filled with visitors eager to see the collection of ancient religious texts. Currently, on eight wall showcases, paper notes with the phrase 'temporarily relocated' are displayed. Hagit Maoz mentioned that the last time the museum removed these precious works from display was during the Gulf War in 1991 when Iraq fired missiles at Israel. According to Reuters, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has also taken similar precautionary measures. The portrait 'Friedrich Maria Beer,' by Gustav Klimt, painted two years before his death, is now kept on a shelf in a sturdy underground shelter alongside other works. The museum's walls are now empty of these valuable pieces. Tanya Cohen Ozili, the museum director, told Reuters, 'These artworks have experienced war; some of them survived World War II. We have only recently been their custodians, and we must protect them. [We must] safeguard them for future generations and for history.'