Digging King Herod

King Herod was a Jew of doubtful origin who ruled Israel in the years 40-4 B.C.E. During this same period, the Roman republic was being replaced by the Roman Empire with its vast expansionist aims. Relying on Roman support for his power, Herod was, in effect, Israel's little Roman emperor. And he played the part, bringing administrative order and economic prosperity to the country and creating hugely ambitious architectural projects. In the Roman way, he was also cruel, paranoid, and thorough, killing his wife, three sons, and an assortment of other relatives and confidants.

Herod Inspires New Controversy  Samuel Sockol,  Washington Post.  The discovery of Herod's tomb stirs up a hornet's nest of political passions.  SAVE

Herod Revealed  Tom Mueller,  National Geographic.  Israelis are reckoning with the questions raised by Herod's life and architectural achievements.  SAVE

The New Israel Museum

An expanded and revamped Israel Museum re-opened to the public in late July after three years of renovations. While the modest architecture remains as it was, the modernist cubes rolling with the Jerusalem landscape, the jumble of buildings has been streamlined: 25,000 square feet of exhibition space have been added, but the number of items on display has been reduced by a third. Overall, the design is significantly more user-friendly, with a spacious new entrance hall leading to the museum's remarkable collections, including its three most significant wings: archeology, Jewish art and life, and fine art.

Universalism at the Heart of the Universe  Felice Friedson,  gantdaily.  In an interview, the director of the Israel Museum explains why Jerusalem is the most fitting place to make a statement about universality.  SAVE

The Place of Art  Ellie Armon Azoulay,  Haaretz.  To Yigal Zalmona, a museum's purpose includes being critical of government, of society, and of its own ties to wealth and other material factors.  SAVE

Sefer Mitzvot Gadol, Soncino, 1488

Typography

In the Book of Genesis, the Hebrew language is the very stuff of creation. The Talmud tells us (Menahot 29b) that Rabbi Akiva would derive new laws from the "crowns" of Hebrew letters.  In the Kabbalah, the shape of the letters is said to reflect the shape of God's own inner being.  What type of type can do justice to any of this?

Introducing Hebrew Type  Meir Sadan,  Oketz.  The basics of Hebrew typography.  SAVE

The Book of Hebrew Script  Ada Yardeni,  Oak Knoll Press.  An illustrated history of early modern Hebrew typography.  SAVE

Prayer Type  Joshua J. Friedman,  Tablet.  How Eliyahu Koren created new, majestic, playful fonts for sacred books.  SAVE

Faux Hebrew  Jessica Helfand,  Design Observer.  Why is this font different from all other fonts? For a good reason.  SAVE