Cradle of Christianity Jewish and Christian Treasures of the Holy Land
Showing Two Religions Living Together Peacefully - Year One
McMillan Group designed the interiors, archival display cases, graphics, media, mounts and lighting as well as managing production for this exhibition about the ancient Holy Land.
The collection of one hundred thirty eight artifacts was organized in 2000 by the Israel Museum as a way to show the connections and comparisons between the two ancient communities living together in the Holy Land, as illustrated in this first display.
The vessel display from Galilee recalled stories from Jesus' life, as in the changing of water to wine in Cana, set in context of a mural of that location. The color palette, murals and displays were critical to achieving the atmosphere of the time and place shown in this unique entrance.
This balustrade from Herod's temple is supported by text and illustrations to show the place for the trumpeter call. McMillan Group developed a unique text panel system with visual characteristics of parchment, appropriate for the time.
This gallery makes the Last Supper relevant to the guests by displaying objects of the time with projected interpretations of that famous event by artists throughout history.
The Dead Sea Scroll gallery displayed elements in context to tell the story. The elements include a photo mural of the caves along with a vessel in which the scrolls were found.
This rare fragment of the Dead Sea Scroll collection was featured in its own gallery room and required significant lighting control and a high level of archival balance and secure casework.
Contrasted against the color of the substrate, this display
highlights the objects from the Qumran Caves where the
Dead Scrolls were discovered.
By 300 AD the Christian religion was gaining momentum. McMillan Group interpreted this separation from Jewish culture by displaying full-scale elements of the reconstruction of a Byzantine church in high value colors and lighting.
This shows detail of an oil chandelier in bronze and glass within the display. Precise and careful lighting of the objects shows the translucent quality of the ancient glass nearly two thousand years old.
The goal of this project was to create an museum exhibition telling the story of how early Christian and Jewish societies lived closely together at the time of the birth of Jesus to 300 AD. This 22,000 sq. ft. exhibition, with artifacts from the Israel Museum, was displayed at the Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, FL as well as the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta, GA. McMillan Group created the museum exhibit design including: architectural and interior design, cases, mount design, graphics, lighting and all engineering. The story was told by giving context to the objects’ location, use and significance. A special acknowledgment to Dr. David Mevorah and his team from the Israel Museum in providing incredible guidance and information as curators for this exhibit.
“WOW, and how terrific! This is very exciting news (winning the award) and I am so pleased and impressed. You did a fabulous job designing the Cradle exhibition to fit two very different spaces... it was a great experience working with you and I know our design team enjoyed the process. Thank you Nancy and Charlie (McMillan), and congratulations to you! So well deserved!"
Bonnie Speed, Director, Michael C. Carlos Museum
“ McMillan Group was commissioned to design this remarkable exhibition, truly a collaborative effort between designers, Israeli curators, fabricators, and the Museum staff. McMillan Group, headed by Charlie McMillan, allowed the over one hundred archaeological and biblical artifacts to tell their story. The design was key to the success of this extraordinary exhibition which has been receiving international acclaim.”
Irvin Lippman, Director, Museum of Fine Art, Ft. Lauderdale
McMillan Group Inc. 25 Otter Trail, Westport CT 06880 203-227-8696
