My visit to Chicago yesterday went well; my only regret – too little time for the museums, in the city, and with my friend Steve. I last visited the Oriental Institute Museum about 5 years ago when only the Egyptian wing was open. The remainder of the renovations are now complete (except for the Nubia wing) and the museum is excellent. As with any good museum, you leave with the desire for more time and greater mental capabilities. The displays are beautifully laid out, and the explanations provide an excellent education. If you could limit yourself to one wing a visit, you would appreciate it more. They allow photographs (but no tripod), and do not charge admission (but accept donations). I highly recommend a visit.
A sidenote: I saw that one of my photos was on display in the Megiddo hall. The museum had contacted me a couple of times about using it but we had never quite come to an agreement that I was aware of. Nonetheless, it was neat to see my name in print in such an excellent museum.
Museum highlights: Sennacherib prism (1 of 6 in the world), colossal statue of King Tut, lions from ancient Babylon, bull head from Persepolis, Canaanite statue of El(?), and the Megiddo ivories.
The museum guide is worth picking up for $3.50; unfortunately it has the Dead Sea Scrolls fragment printed upside-down.
