At a time when the continued misery of Palestine has got forgotten in the miasma of international politics, art has become the perfect reminder. In a deeply moving project, the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit has juxtaposed Biblical paintings with present-day photographs of the war-torn country to show the horrors in the lives of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees.

The collection, dedicated to Pope Francis’s visit to Palestine in May 2014, offers a stark contrast in each frame. One image combines a photo of Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian and Caravaggio’s Madonna of the Rosary, interweaving conflict and implorations.

The pieces, the museum says, were created last year to capture some of the complexities of a land that is the birthplace of three major religions. The Christian population has been on a sharp decline in the country, with Christians now making only 1% of the population as against nearly 10% in the 1920s.

The museum, slated to open to the public in 2016, says its purpose “is to raise Palestine’s voice high, for all to hear”. It wants to preserve the past, present and future of the country through various works.

Jack Persekian, director and head curator of the Palestinian Museum, told Scroll.in how the idea for the collection came about:
“Biblical paintings are, among other things, allegories of the Christian values: charity, mercy, compassion, and faith in a just and loving God. And yet these photographs documenting everyday life in Palestine show is a conspicuous absence of Christian compassion, and hope glimpsed only in the courage and humanity of their subjects. The images are totally incongruous – but we can see, in the combinations, not two warring narratives but a single tale of the tension between Christian values and the plight of many of the world’s Christians – between the sanctity of the Holy Land and the violence it has suffered.”

The collection has attracted widespread interest. When Pope Francis held a Mass on his visit, banners of the paintings were put up in the Manger Square in Bethlehem. “They also decorated a hall in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, which was a stop on his visit,” said Persekian.


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. August 20 , 2010
by Matt Milstein



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.  April 16, 2002
by Alexandra Boulat



Madonna of the Rosary
(c. 1607)
Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio
Photo: Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian on a roof during a protest against home demolition in Kharbatha bani Hareth, North of Bil’in.
by Jamal Arouri



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. March 31, 2002
byAlexandra Boulat



The Denial of Saint Peter
(c. 1610)
Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio
“This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.“ Matthew 26:34
photo: West Bank settlers attack a group of Palestinian farmers near Nablus.  October 25, 2006
by Alexandra Boulat



Christ Falling on the Way to Calvary
(c. 1516)
Raphaello Sanzio da Urbino
Photo: Via Dolorosa, old city of Jerusalem.
by Jamal Arouri



The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
(c. 1608)
Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Matthew 14:8
Photo: The arrest (and later deportation) of a German peace activist in the Jordan Valley.  January 18, 2014
by Eric Sánchez



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. May 24, 2006
by Alexandra Boulat



Crucifixion of Saint Peter
(c. 1601)
Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio
photo: Palestinian peasants attacked by Israeli settlers during olive harvest season in Salfit, West Bank. October 25, 2006



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