The National Maritime Museum

Collection and Exhibition

The museum’s collection is divided into nine main exhibitions that spread over two floors.

 ·         5000 The Pirates, the Flag and the Skull – a fascinating glimpse into the world of pirates, treasures, and lost ships. The exhibition includes a restoration of a prison cell in a ship and of a captain lodging.  The exhibition also offers a display of weaponry, model ships, prints, and imaginary restorations of famous pirates.

·         Years of Shipping—a historic overview accompanied by model ships and restored ships from different periods, the anchor in maritime history, a battering ram from the 2nd century BC that was pulled out whole from Atlit beach, a collection of shells from the 2nd century BC. 

·         The Archeology of the Israeli Beaches  -- an exhibit of the extensive trade that took place on the Israeli beaches, which also showcases various sea-crafts, archeological findings, Greek and Roman statuettes from different periods, and gold coins.

·         Shipwrecks – different findings from the wrecked ships from the beaches of the Mediterranean, which were unable to reach their destination, while some contain and display different types of mettle that were uses for commerce.

·          Technology and Marine Instrumentation – an exhibit of ancient marine navigation instruments, among them hourglasses and travel books from the 17th and 18th centuries, ship compasses/binnacles, sundials and instruments used for navigation, sailing and various measurements.

·         Wine Jugs and Goods (Named after David Kenneth) – the jug was the main tool to store different goods, among them wine and grain. The exhibit offers an overview of 2500 years of the development of the maritime trade pitcher, from the 16th century BC to the Byzantine era. Among the items on display are various kinds of jugs, which were found in the Mediterranean Basin and can teach us about the developed trade of ancient times.

·         Deck Art – an exhibit of items made by sailors: carvings, boat models, knotting and rope works, sailor tattoos and more. Among the unique items on display we will mention the “Bark”, a model from Europe from the 19th century, designed to be placed in churches in order to ensure the safety of the seafarers, and the “Valentine”, a common piece made by sailors in the 19th century to give as a gift to their spouses who were waiting from them on shore.  The item displayed in this exhibition is unique since it is engraved with a menorah and the Star of David.

·         Maps of the Ancient World (Carl and Li Handler Wing) – a unique exhibition of over 3500ancient geographic and astronomic maps and globes from the 15th century onwards. Among the salient items of display, the “Buntin Clover Leaf Map” from 1581 (depicting the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa in the shape of a clover leaf, with Jerusalem at its center)  and a globe made by the famous Dutch cartographer Willem Jansz. Blaeu.

·         Hebrew Shipping in the 20th century (the Jane and Jerald Gudman Wing)  -- the sea constituted an inseparable part of the renewal of the Jewish settlement. The exhibit displays ship models from the beginning of the Hebrew shipping, ships used for pre-state, illegal, Jewish immigration and cruise ships. Among the special items displayed in the exhibition our visitors may find the first sailor and skipper certificate in Israel, a citation of honor given to Moshe Abramsky, skipper of the “Atid” (future) ship, for its service in WWII, signed by Winston Churchill, and more.   In addition to our permanent exhibitions, the museum also holds changing exhibitions from the museum’s collections and exhibitions of Israeli and international artists on the theme of the sea and the oceans.  The museum has a skilled team of tour guides, which provides specific tours for various audiences, among them school children, students, families, tourists, and groups.  We invite you to contact us and encounter the most important discoveries in the maritime history of the Mediterranean Basin.