This superb collection of Jewish art and artifacts spans more than two millennia of artistic creation and provides a fascinating perspective on the history and culture of the Jewish people. The forty-eight treasures, shown in stunning full-color reproductions, have been selected from the world's foremost repository of Jewish art and archaeology, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The accompanying essays inform and enlighten, placing each item in the context of the prevailing cultural and religious influences. The works include relics of early Jewish history, ceremonial objects, folk art, paintings, and precious remnants of communities that have vanished forever. In bringing together these rich and varied examples of Jewish art, Jewish Art Masterpieces reminds us of the links between past and present and the enduring legacy of the Jewish heritage.