Archaeologists of the Future

Children play in the archaeological park specially set up in the center of Tel Aviv for the Passover festival.

Recently, Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) took another step in encouraging the younger generation to form an interest in archaeology. In April, during the week-long celebration of Passover, when Israeli families and Jewish visitors take vacation, IAA initiated a unique project in Tel Aviv that could have been called “Back to Egypt.”

While the biblical story of Israel’s freedom from Egyptian slavery was fresh in their minds from the Passover seder meal, children were able to go back to Egypt and see just what life was like there—without the tears! A show dramatized the story of the Exodus from Egypt, but there were hands-on activities as well.

IAA set up an excavation compound where a child could discover artifacts from the Egyptian culture. Equipped with special digging tools, the ancient Egyptian culture unfolded as they found pottery shards, coins, symbols of the monarchy, and hieroglyphics—as well as candy in between!

Other activity stations were an Egyptian writing station where they learned about the mysteries of ancient hieroglyphics and prepared an Egyptian cartouche; a workshop where they learned about the games of the ancient kings of Egypt and made one; and the Tutankhamen station where the stories of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen (who ascended to the throne as a child) and the discovery of his tomb were told, and they made a copy of his mask.

What fun ways to make the Bible come alive for children! I guess as long as it stays within Israel’s borders, it’s okay to go back to Egypt. Hopefully, this will be repeated—next year in Jerusalem!