Multipurpose Wall Decoration from 1893: A Biblical Map of the Holy Land
From Our Holdings
This "New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land" from 1893 was probably never intended to be used by a pilgrim or traveler on the ground.
Biblical Maps
In fact, "Biblical maps" were maps of Palestine that showed the Israelites' route through the desert or, in the Christian context, important places in Jesus' life – all based on the latest biblical research. Maps in this genre had existed for centuries aside from contemporary maps that helped travelers get their bearings.
Orientation or Decoration?
Our map is labeled in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish. It shows current railroad lines alongside the Israelites' passage through the Red Sea, the route taken by biblical scouts to the land of Canaan, and the site of the Battle of Gilboa. In addition to a legend and illustrations of contemporary "sights" such as the Cave of the Patriarchs and the Western Wall of the Temple, it includes a box for recording people's birthdays. This is evidence that the map was conceived as a wall decoration rather than a reference to take on a pilgrimage.
Jacob Goldzweig, A New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land; Jewish Museum Berlin, Löwenhardt-Hirsch Collection, Purchased with funds provided by Stiftung DKLB, photo: Jens Ziehe
Jacob Goldzweig, A New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land; Jewish Museum Berlin, Löwenhardt-Hirsch Collection, Purchased with funds provided by Stiftung DKLB, photo: Jens Ziehe
Jacob Goldzweig, A New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land (detail); Jewish Museum Berlin, Löwenhardt-Hirsch Collection, Purchased with funds provided by Stiftung DKLB, photo: Jens Ziehe
Zionist Publication
But who hung a map like this on the wall? It must be seen in the context of Zionism, the movement in Judaism to create a Jewish state. "Buy now – it's time!" reads a caption in Yiddish: settle in Palestine, for it is here, the map argues, that the Jewish people's past and future come together.
| Title | A New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land |
|---|---|
| Artist | Jacob Goldzweig (dates of birth and death unknown) |
| Collection | Fine Arts |
| Location and year of origin | Haifa, 1893 |
| Medium | Lithograph |
| Dimensions | 84 x 52 cm |
| Acquisition | Löwenhardt-Hirsch Collection, purchased with funds provided by Stiftung DKLB |
Selected Objects: Fine Arts Collection (12)
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Fine Arts Collection
Glance through our art holdings featuring modernist works by Max Liebermann and Lovis Corinth, and commercial graphic art by Louis Oppenheim. The motifs span from biblical and Jewish themes to intimate portraits and Felix Nussbaum’s haunting response to his experience of persecution.
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Albertine Mendelssohn-Bartholdy as a Bride by August Theodor Kaselowsky
In this painting, Albertine Heine appears to be a Christian Madonna. She holds the ring near her heart, wearing a white dress with her gaze modestly lowered.
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Biblical map of the Holy Land
This "New and Original Biblical Map of the Holy Land" from 1893 was probably never intended to be used by pilgrims or travelers on the ground.
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Loneliness by Felix Nussbaum
Nussbaum is nearly unique among artists for his striking examination of his plight as one of the persecuted. He painted it in Brussels, where he was in hiding, in 1942.
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The Plesch Family Portrait by Max Slevogt
Max Slevogt created this painting of his friend's family in 1928. It captures the intimacy of family life while fulfilling a group portrait's representative function.
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Composition by Otto Freundlich
Otto Freundlich painted this abstract composition in 1938 – one year after another artwork of his had been branded "degenerate art" in Nazi Germany.
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Moses Looks upon the Promised Land by Lesser Ury
For artist Lesser Ury, the painting marked the end of a lifelong preoccupation with the figure of Moses. Unfortunately, only a pastel sketch for the painting survives.
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Petermannchen by Lovis Corinth
Lovis Corinth painted this portrait of his student and wife-to-be during a beach vacation on the Baltic coast. It contains a secret romantic message.
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Sabbath by Jankel Adler
Jankel Adler's painting Sabbath shows a parlor scene on the weekly day of rest. But the artist has not depicted the festive, pleasurable moment of welcoming the Shabbat.
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Girl Walking by Elisabeth Wolff
The sculpture by Elisabeth Wolff was a trophy at the first sporting festival held by the Reich Committee for Jewish Youth Associations, in 1934. The artwork has only been entrusted to our collection for safekeeping.
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Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Max Liebermann
In this late self-portrait, the artist presents himself as bourgeois in a dark suit and a Panama hat. Two years after his eightieth birthday, he painted himself here with a touch of resignation and melancholy.
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S. Adam Advertising Poster by Louis Oppenheim
With this poster by the well-known graphic artist Louis Oppenheim, the S. Adam clothing store advertised its products to male and female sports enthusiasts in 1908.
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Passage through the Red Sea by Jakob Steinhardt
This woodcut by Jakob Steinhardt illustrates a 1920s Haggadah. The people barely escaped with their lives—as is revealed in the expression on Moses’ face.