Noa’h (נֹחַ – Noah)
Genesis 6:9–11:32 • Isaiah 54:1–55:5
Parashat Noa’h recounts the flood, the ark built by Noah, and the renewal of the world. Noah is described as a righteous man, blameless in his generation (Gen 6:9). He is commanded to build an ark to save his family and the animal species. After the rain, God establishes a covenant with humanity, symbolized by the rainbow. The haftara, full of hope, proclaims that God will never abandon Israel, even after the storms. It evokes restored peace and the promise of a radiant future.
Genesis 6:19
וּמִכֹּל הַחַי מִכָּל-בָּשָׂר שְׁנַיִם מִכֹּל תָּבִיא אֶל-הַתֵּבָה
Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark.
Founded in 1940 by Professor Aharon Shulov[1], the Biblical Zoo (גן החיות התנ״כי – Gan HaHayot HaTanakhi) was relocated in 1993 to a 25-hectare site in the Malha[2] neighborhood, southwest of Jerusalem.
This move was part of a project launched in 1990 by the Jerusalem Foundation[3] and the Jerusalem municipality, aiming to create a modern, educational, and cultural zoo open to all, dedicated to species mentioned in the Bible.
At the heart of the park stands a monumental ark[4], surrounded by 23 animal sculptures covered in mosaics and mirrors, created between 1991 and 1994 by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle[5].
Biblical panels accompany the enclosures, and thematic trails connect the texts to living creatures. The site regularly hosts educational activities, temporary exhibitions, and events linked to Jewish holidays.
It is also a center for conservation[6] of endangered species.
[1] Aharon Shulov (1907–1997), Israeli zoologist born in Yelisavetgrad (Russian Empire, now Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine). Imprisoned for Zionist activism, he immigrated to Palestine in 1926. He studied zoology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earned a doctorate in Naples, and conducted research in Egypt on veterinary care in subtropical climates. In 1940, he founded the zoo, which he directed for 43 years. He also developed an antivenom for the yellow scorpion and authored numerous scientific articles and an autobiography (The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb, 1981).
[2] Malha, a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem, was built on the ruins of the Arab village al-Maliha, evacuated in 1948. Excavations in the 1980s revealed traces of Jewish settlement from the 1st century CE, including wine presses, cisterns, and pottery. The site is near the Valley of Rephaim, mentioned in Joshua (15:8; 18:16) as the border of the territory of Judah.
[3] The Jerusalem Foundation – founded in 1966 by Teddy Kollek (1911–2007), mayor of Jerusalem from 1965 to 1993 – supports cultural, educational, and social projects. In 1990, it initiated the zoo’s relocation project, with a major donation of $5 million from the Tisch family.
[4] The zoo’s Noah’s Ark, inaugurated in 1994, is a structure measuring 20 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 8 meters high. It houses an interactive exhibition center on Genesis narratives, biblical animals, and contemporary ecological issues.
[5] Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle, known as Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), was a French-American artist renowned for her monumental, colorful, and playful sculptures. For the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, she created an iconic work between 1991 and 1994, commissioned by the Jerusalem Foundation, in collaboration with Swiss architect Mario Botta (born 1943).
[6] The Biblical Zoo collaborates with Israeli and international scientific institutions to conserve endangered species, including the Rüppell’s vulture, Persian leopard, and Syrian brown bear. A member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), it participates in captive breeding programs, supports reintroduction initiatives, and promotes environmental education.