Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the most prestigious art school in the country. It is named for the Biblical figure Bezalel, son of Uri, who was appointed by Moses to oversee the design and construction of the Tabernacle. The art created by Bezalel's students and professors in the early 1900s is considered the springboard for Israeli visual arts in the 20th century.
Boris Schatz, founder of Bezalel
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, professor of Hebrew at Bezalel
Boris Schatz outside the Bezalel campus, Jerusalem, 1913
Bezalel drawing class under direction of Abel Pann, 1912
In Exodus 31:1-6 and chapters 36 to 39, Bezalel, Bezaleel, or Betzalel, was the chief artisan of the Tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant, assisted by Oholiab. The section in chapter 31 describes his selection as chief artisan, in the context of Moses' vision of how God wanted the tabernacle to be constructed, and chapters 36 to 39 recount the construction process undertaken by Bezalel, Oholiab and every gifted artisan and willing worker, in accordance with the vision.
The Goldsmith, gouache on board, c. 1896-1902, by James Tissot (The Jewish Museum, NY)
Bezalel, Oholiab and an assistant produce vessels for the tabernacle (engraving by Pieter Jacopsz Paets, 1645)