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PHOTOS: One Palestinian Museum's Artistic Message to the Pope

Categories: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Arts & Culture, Protest, Refugees, Religion

The Pope's visit to the Holy Land (today's Jordan, Palestine and Israel) has been the focus of many activists hoping to get the Catholic pontiff to speak out in favor of the Palestinian cause.

One such symbolic act was done through an artistic lens. The Palestinian Museum [1], a new museum set to open in the spring of 2015, hung banners in Bethlehem's Manger Square as part of an exhibition entitled “In The Presence of the Holy See [2]” predominantly showing Catholic imagery contrasted with Palestinian suffering.

The museum featured 12 of the banners on their Facebook page [1]. Take a look:

Ecce Homo (c. 1605), Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio- “Ecce homo!“ John 19:5 Photo: Palestinians crossing Qalandiya checkpoint on their way to Jerusalem. 20 Apr. 2002, by Alexandra Boulat [3]

Artwork: Ecce Homo (c. 1605) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, depicting Pontius Pilate present Jesus before a hostile crowd.
Photo: Palestinians crossing the Qalandiya checkpoint on their way to Jerusalem. 20 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.

Madonna of the Rosary (c. 1607) Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio Photo: Sun is shining through what was once the roof of a Palestinian Refugee shelter in the Burj el-Barajneh camp, Lebanon 1993. by M. Nasr, UNRWA photo archive [4]

Artwork: Madonna of the Rosary (c. 1607) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio.
Photo: The sun shines through what was once the roof of a Palestinian refugee shelter in the Burj el-Barajneh camp, Lebanon, in 1993. By M. Nasr, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) photo archive.

Beach refugee camp, Gaza Strip UNRWA photo archive.  An Israeli soldier at Qalandiya checkpoint. 20 Apr. 2002, by Alexandra Boulat [5]

Black-and-white photo: A beach refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: An Israeli soldier at the Qalandiya checkpoint. 20 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.

Clothes distribution in Rafah refugee camp, Gaza Strip 1972. Kay Brennan, UNRWA photo archive An Israeli soldier searches a Palestinian boy at a checkpoint in Hebron,  20 Nov. 2005, by Nayef Hashlamoun [6]

Black-and-white photo: Clothes distribution at the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, 1972. By Kay Brennan, from the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: An Israeli soldier searches a Palestinian boy at a checkpoint in Hebron.
20 Nov., 2005, by Nayef Hashlamoun.

Dheisheh refugee camp, after the 1948 partition. UNRWA photo archive A segment of the Israeli separation wall near Beit Hanina,, Jerusalem 2012. by Tanya Habjouqa [7]

Black-and-white photo: Dheisheh refugee camp after the 1948 partition. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: A segment of the Israeli separation wall near Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, 2012. By Tanya Habjouqa.

One of the few remaining refugees after the civil strife in Jisr el-Basha camp, passes a quiet moment in the partly damaged Pontifical Mission Church, Lebanon 1976. UNRWA photo archive Palestinian Presidential Headquarters (al-Muqat’a), Ramallah 2002., by Jamal Arouri [8]

Black-and-white photo: One of the few remaining refugees after the civil strife in Jisr el-Basha camp spends a quiet moment in the partly damaged Pontifical Mission Church in Lebanon, 1976. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: Palestinian Presidential Headquarters (al-Muqat’a) in Ramallah, 2002. By Jamal Arouri

Abraham’s Sacrifice (c. 1635) Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn photo: Israeli soldiers overwhelmed by the smell of dead bodies in Jenin refugee camp, West Bank. 16 Apr. 2002 by Alexandra Boulat [9]

Artwork: Abraham’s Sacrifice (c. 1635) by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
Photo: Israeli soldiers overwhelmed by the smell of dead bodies at Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. 16 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.

The Deposition (c. 1507) Raphaello Sanzio da Urbino “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem.“ Zechariah 12:11 photo: Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian and detain others, downtown Ramallah.  31 Mar. 2002 by Alexandra Boulat [10]

Artwork: The Deposition (c. 1507) by Raphaello Sanzio da Urbino.
“In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem,“ Zechariah 12:11.
Photo: Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian and detain others in downtown Ramallah. 31 March, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c. 1602) Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio “Reach here your finger and test the reality of my being” photo: An Israeli Border Police examines the ID card of a Palestinian at the Qalandiya crossing during Ramadan.  20 Aug. 2010 by Matt Milstein [11]

Artwork: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c. 1602) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio. “Reach here your finger and test the reality of my being.”
Photo: An Israeli Border Police officer examines the ID card of a Palestinian at the Qalandiya crossing during Ramadan. 20 Aug., 2010, by Matt Milstein.

Christ healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (c. 1670) Bartolomé Esteban Murillo “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” John 5:8 photo: A Palestinian passes into Gaza via the Erez checkpoint.  24 May 2006 by Alexandra Boulat [12]

Artwork: Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (c. 1670) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” John 5:8.
Photo: A Palestinian passes into Gaza via the Erez checkpoint. 24 May, 2006, by Alexandra Boulat.

Palestinian refugees walking across Allenby Bridge on their way to Jordan, July 1967. Myrtle Winter  UNRWA photo archive A woman runs terrified from her house in Bint Jbail during a “temporary cease fire“ in South Lebanon during the Israeli led war of 2006. by Tanya Habjouqa [13]

Black-and-white photo: Palestinian refugees walking across Allenby Bridge on their way to Jordan in July 1967. By Myrtle Winter, from the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: A woman runs terrified from her house in Bint Jbail during a “temporary ceasefire“ in southern Lebanon during the Israeli-led war of 2006. By Tanya Habjouqa.

Lamentation of Christ (c. 1606)  Annibale Carracci photo: First lifting of the curfew in Jenin refugee camp after the Israeli raid. 15 Apr. 2002 by Alexandra Boulat [14]

Artwork: Lamentation of Christ (c. 1606) by Annibale Carracci.
Photo: First lifting of the curfew at the Jenin refugee camp following an Israeli raid. 15 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.