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Reign of King David highlighted in new museum
Harps, anointing jars, spices of Temple sacrifice abound

Ancient slings, oil lamps and anointing jars alongside an advanced center charting descendants of biblical King David. On display fashion trends from the streets of Jerusalem during the times of David. Men dressed in Biblical clothing who provide guided tours for patrons.
 
Welcome to the King David Museum & Genealogy Center, a new interactive museum that officially opened its doors last week in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City.
 
Located on Tiferet Yisrael, the main pedestrian district in the Old City neighborhood known as the Jewish quarter, the museum is dedicated to the life, rein and legacy of the second biblical king of Israel.
 
"The legacy of King David is as important today as during the time of his rule," said Susan Roth, founder of the Davidic Dynasty, which promoted the museum.
 
"What King David did 3,000 years ago needs to be done again today – that is to unite all Jews together into one nation instead of attempting to separate ourselves due to such things as degree of religiousness or political affiliation," said Roth, whose group seeks to promote awareness about Jewish history and Jewish ties to the land of Israel through the life and leadership of King David.

And the King David Museum does just that. Its three floors and maze-like interiors bring visitors on a virtual and archaeological tour of King David's life. Museum displays feature Davidic artifacts and art, ancient writings, and pieces related to the Jewish Temple, such as spices and salt that would have been used during Temple sacrifices.
 
To set the mood, the halls are brimming with Davidic harps, art related to David's revered Psalms, a Torah scroll dedicated to the Jewish king and even a designer throne.
 
Visitors can also learn about David at the museum's audiovisual center, which features 3-D movies about the monarch.
 
Those seeking to find out whether they are personally related to King David can consult staff members at the museum's genealogy department, which houses a vast, computerized database containing lineage charts, including family trees and birthline connections to Jewish sages descended from David.
 
Jewish descent from David can be traced through oral tradition, rabbinic sources, historical data and extensive research, explained Chaim Freedman, a renowned Israeli genealogist.
 
Before exiting the museum, visitors can browse a gift shop that sells everything from Psalms through biblical-era clothing.
 
Museum curator Yisroel Cohen stated the idea of the museum "is that Jews from all over the world – religious and secular – should come in and feel that they are a part of a spectacular heritage that comes straight from the Bible."
 
The story of King David is told throughout the Bible's books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. David is believed to have reigned from 1005 until about 965 B.C.
 
Roth, who resides in the U.S., says she is a direct Davidic descendant through prominent Chassidic leaders who trace their ancestry to Rashi, the 11th century author of one of the most authoritative commentaries.
 
She explained why she decided to open to museum in Jerusalem instead of in the U.S.
 
"It had to be in Jerusalem, a city that David bought for 50 pieces of gold. King David's legacy lives on today in the streets of the capital city of the Jewish state, the holy city for which Jews worldwide yearned to one day return."