Located in the city center of Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, the Friends of Zion Museum brings together the stories of extraordinary non-Jewish people who brought love and heroism to the world through their support of the Jewish people and the establishment of the State of Israel. Long the vision of its founder, evangelist and author Dr. Mike Evans, the five-story museum uses technologically-advanced interactive methods to take visitors on a journey from the time of Abraham to the present.
Friends of Zion Museum Exhibits
Visitors start with the Land of the Promise exhibit, where they can see a 40-foot long topographic floor map showing the layout of the land inhabited by the twelve tribes of Israel, as well as prominent biblical towns. The room darkens, and the walls come alive with images of modern-day Israel and aerial views of the country. A beam of light traces the aerial tour of Israel on the floor map, connecting what is on the screen to the biblical-era landscape of the map.
Take a journey through time in the Founders Theatre where visitors can watch the story of the covenant made between the people of Israel and God using animation, light effects, music, and narration.
Enter the Hall of Dreamers, which features Professor George Bush (1796-1859), William Blackstone, the Ten Boom family and John Henry Dunant—all non-Jews who believed the words of the biblical prophets, promising Israel to the Jews. This section of the museum highlights the efforts of leading Christian Zionists in support of the Jewish dream.
The Visionaries Gallery features an immense colorful mural comprised of high-definition LED screens. One need only touch the screen to interact with images of the heroes of Christian Zionism, who worked together toward the creation of Israel. Biblical quotes are interspersed throughout the presentation, highlighting the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel.
In contrast with the brightly-lit Visionaries Gallery, visitors move into almost total blackness as the enter the chamber presenting Israel’s Lights in the Darkness. Here the atrocities of the Holocaust are revealed, but also the deeds of the non-Jewish heroes who risked their lives rescuing imperiled Jews. To add further meaning to the presentation, a hidden projector beams the names and faces of those rescued from the Shoah by a Christian onto the cupped hands of visitors.
Just down the stairs, visitors enter the Hall of the Brave where they can have a “face-to-face” encounter with life-sized images of those heroes who stood in the face of anti-Semitism and who tell the stories of their own contributions to the Jewish people. The actual recording of the UN vote which approved the partition plan in 1947 creating Jewish and Arab states in the Land of Israel plays in the background.
Visitors complete their journey in the Promise Theatre, where they don 3-D glasses for a visually stunning display that summarizes the heritage of the Christian Zionists. Participants are challenged to make the biblical commitment of Hineni, or “Here am I,” to defend God’s chosen people.
Practical Information:
Those who wish to visit the Friends of Zion Museum are advised to book in advance online, by email, or by phone. The tour is offered in 15 languages and lasts one hour. The museum is appropriate for those ages 7 and up. Housed in one of the first seven homes built outside the Old City walls back in 1869, the museum has a beautiful café which is open six days a week to visitors and the general public.
