Birthday bash for King David

JERUSALEM – It was a birthday bash fit for royalty.

The King David Museum & Genealogy Center, a new interactive museum that officially opened its doors in March in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, yesterday celebrated the 3,048th birthday of King David, the second biblical king of Israel.

According to tradition, King David was born and died on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which started last night. Shavuot, one of three Jewish pilgrimage festivals, marks the day the Torah was given to the Jews on Mount Sinai.

The King David Museum yesterday commenced special week-long sessions and projects commemorating the birthday, life, rein and legacy of King David. Museum visitors participated in the writing of a Torah scroll dedicated to the king; Psalms, believed to be the work of David, were available at discounted prices; dairy products - a Shavuot tradition - were handed out to passersby.

Kids celebrating King David's birthday at museum

"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.

Located on Tiferet Yisrael, the main pedestrian district in the Old City neighborhood known as the Jewish quarter, Roth's museum is dedicated to King David. 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.

To interview Aaron Klein, contact M. Sliwa Public Relations by e-mail, or call 973-272-2861 or 212-202-4453.