The Tisch Family Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem (, ), popularly known as the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, is a zoo located in the Malha neighborhood of Jerusalem. It is famous for its Afro-Asiatic collection of wildlife, many of which are described in the Hebrew Bible, as well as for its success in breeding endangered species. According to Dun and Bradstreet, the Biblical Zoo was the most popular tourist attraction in Israel from 2005 to 2007, and logged a record 738,000 visitors in 2009. The zoo had about 55,000 members in 2009.

History Downtown Jerusalem (1940–1947)

The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo opened in September 1940 as a small "animal corner" on Rabbi Kook Street in central Jerusalem. The zoo was founded by Aharon Shulov, a professor of zoology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus. Among Shulov's goals were to provide a research facility for his students; to gather animals, reptiles and birds mentioned in the Bible; and, as he wrote in 1951, to break down the "invisible wall" between the intellectuals on Mount Scopus and the general public.Shulov, Aharon (1980). The Leopard. Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Zoo Educational Series, p. 13. The first animal in the Jerusalem Zoo was a desert monitor which arrived in 1940, brought by a group of British soldiers., Wartime Diaries, Israel Story, 2024, https://www.israelstory.org/episode/maya-german-and-benjamin-fainsod/

Early on, the zoo ran into several difficulties in its decision to focus on animals mentioned in the Bible. For one, the meaning of many names of animals, reptiles and birds in Scriptures is often uncertain; for example, nesher (), commonly translated as "eagle", could also mean "vulture". More significantly, many of the animals mentioned in the Bible are now extinct in Israel due to over-hunting, destruction of natural habitats by rapid construction and development, illegal poisoning by farmers, and low birth rate. Zoo planners decided to branch beyond strictly biblical animals and include worldwide endangered species as well.

The presence of the animal corner generated many complaints from residents in adjoining buildings due to the smell and noise, as well as the perceived danger of animal escapes. Due to the complaints, the zoo relocated in 1941 to a lot on Shmuel HaNavi Street. Here, too, complaints were heard from the neighbors, but the zoo remained at this site for the next six years.

Mount Scopus (1947–1950) In 1947 the zoo, which by now had 122 animals, relocated to a plot of land on Mount Scopus provided by Hebrew University. It remained there from 1947 to 1950. Its occupancy coincided with the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the siege of Jerusalem, when food for the city's population was at a premium. Zookeepers resorted to hunting down stray dogs near garbage dumps in order to feed the carnivorous animals. Many of the carnivores died anyway, and other, non-dangerous species had to be released.

Romema (1950–1991)

As part of the Israel–Jordan Armistice Agreements of 1949, access to Mount Scopus was restricted. The United Nations helped the zoo relocate to a lot in Givat Komuna, adjacent to the present-day neighborhoods of Romema. According to Shulov, when the zoo arrived in Romema, only two wolves, one hyena, one lion and one leopard were left.Shulov, Aharon (1981). The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: 40 years of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, pp. 4–5.

The zoo remained in Romema from 1950 to 1991, becoming a beloved Jerusalem institution. About 30 percent of its attendance came from Haredi families from northern Jerusalem and Muslim families from East Jerusalem—two population groups that normally do not participate in the city's cultural offerings. The zoo grew to and more than 200 species, including most of the 130 animals mentioned in the Bible. Thanks to its breeding program, 11 species that had disappeared from Israel were reintroduced into nature reserves around the country, including the Syrian brown bear, the addax, and two types of fallow deer. Through gifts, trades with other zoos, and its success at breeding, the zoo's collection exceeded 500 animals by 1967. During the Six-Day War, however, 110 animals were killed by shrapnel and stray bullets.

The zoo was administered by a nonprofit corporation with representatives from Hebrew University, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the Israeli Ministries of Tourism and Education. From a financial standpoint, however, the zoo had little money. Shulov, who retired as director in 1983, often served as director without pay. The zoo was also considered inferior to the zoos of Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who took office in 1965, became one of the zoo's main supporters and fundraisers through his Jerusalem Foundation. Kollek promoted the idea of moving the zoo to a larger location and upgrading it to a state-of-the-art institution, as well as a tourist site that would appeal to secular and religious Jewish families and Arab families alike. Around 1990, under the auspices of the Jerusalem Foundation, the Tisch family of New York agreed to pay $5 million toward the $30 million cost of the project. Another $10 million was raised through sale of the lot in Romema, which was converted to housing. The Jerusalem municipality, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Foundation, and private sponsors also contributed.

Malha (1993–present) The zoo closed its site in Romema in 1991 and reopened in the Malha valley, southwest of the city center, in 1993. In 2025, the head of the zoo's carnivores unit died after being mauled by a leopard that had escaped from its enclosure during a visitors tour.

The zoo today

The zoo, renamed the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem, but still called the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo by the general public, opened for a preview period on 28 February 1993. It officially opened on 9 September 1993.

Design and layout Designed by Miller-Blum & Associates Landscape Architects, and constructed by the Moriah Jerusalem Development Corporation, the zoo sits on in a valley surrounded by the hillside neighborhoods of Malha and Givat Masua. The park is landscaped with trees and shrubs native to Israel, many of which are mentioned in the Bible.

The zoo is built on two main levels. A motorized train takes visitors on a circular route from the lower level to the upper level. The entire park is wheelchair-accessible; each train can also accommodate one wheelchair.

The centerpiece of the lower level is an artificial lake which includes two islands of monkey exhibits. The lake is fed by a series of pools and waterfalls, beginning at an artificial waterfall called "Moses' Rock" (an allusion to the well of Miriam which provided water for the Israelites during their 40-year sojourn in the desert). Water is recycled and pumped back to Moses' Rock through an underground system.

At the western end of the park stands a two-story, boat-shaped wooden visitor center meant to resemble Noah's Ark. It contains an auditorium, an art gallery, a gift shop, a snack bar, and computer stations providing information on animals mentioned in the Bible.

The zoo operates several snack bars and a coffee shop. Picnic tables and benches are situated throughout the park. There is also an animal-themed jungle gym for children and a sculpture garden containing 23 phantasmagorical animal sculptures decorated with stones, mirrors, and mosaics, which double as climbing toys, designed by French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, together with an underground Noah's Ark sculpture designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Children can also view 3D films of animals in a small theater near the entrance to the zoo.

Animal exhibits The traditional zoo infrastructure of bars and cages has been replaced by open areas separated from the public by trenches, moats, bridges, and glass windows; outdoor exhibits also have an indoor shelter in case of bad weather. The only areas in which the public has direct contact with the animals are Lemur Land, the "petting pool" at the Wet Side Story aquatic exhibit, and the children's zoo, where children can pet and feed pygmy goats, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Animals and birds reside in natural habitats, from an African savannah to a tropical rain forest to the underground world of mice and cockroaches. The lesser kestrel exhibit is designed as a house in Jerusalem's Morasha district, formerly a major nesting ground for these birds. Each animal or bird which is mentioned in the Bible has a biblical verse in Hebrew, Arabic and English appended to its information sign.

Behind the scenes, the zoo operates an animal medical center with surgery, recovery and treatment rooms, a laboratory, and a quarantine unit where incoming animals and zoo animals being sent to other zoos are tested for diseases. This medical center cares for all zoo animals except the elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamus, and bison, which are treated in their own exhibits.

The parking lot accommodates 500 vehicles. The city named the street astride the zoo Derech Aharon Shulov (Aharon Shulov Way) after the zoo's founder.

Animal species As of 2009, the zoo housed 2,200 animals representing 271 different species: 60 fish species, 68 mammal species, 28 reptile species, 11 amphibian species, and 104 bird species. Many species were introduced only in the last few years, as the collection numbered 208 species in 2007.

Food sources

The massive amount of fruits and vegetables consumed daily by the zoo's animals are acquired free of charge through an agreement Shulov worked out with Israeli companies that tithe their produce in accordance with Jewish law. During the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, terumah, a tithe on agricultural produce, was designated for the kohanim (priests) and their animals. After the destruction of the Temple, the rabbis decreed that the tithed produce could not be used and had to be destroyed. The animals of the Biblical Zoo were symbolically sold to a Kohen so that this tithed produce could be given to them. The animals of the Biblical Zoo receive nearly a ton of the choicest fruits and vegetables every day(subscription) through a distribution handled by the local religious council. Meat consumed by the carnivores is furnished by kosher butchers, veterinarians, and fishermen. Pruned branches from edible plants in the park, such as date palms, olive trees and carob trees, are also used for fodder.

During Passover, the entire zoo is chametz-free. Four to six weeks before the holiday, the animal feed pellets are switched from wheat-based to rice-based ingredients, and after Passover they are gradually switched back to wheat-based.Kohn, Batya. "The Zoo Doctor". Aim!, 9 Nisan 5777 (5 April 2017), pp. 24–27.

Themes and focus

Wildlife conservation

The zoo sees its primary goal as the conservation of endangered species. These include animals mentioned in the Bible which are now extinct in Israel, such as Asiatic lions, Syrian brown bears, Asiatic cheetahs, Nile crocodiles and Persian fallow deer (which has since been reintroduced to Israel), and Arabian leopards, which are critically endangered and on the verge of extinction in Israel. It also includes endangered species worldwide, such as Asian elephants (which historically also lived in the Levant), rare species of macaw, cockatiels, ibises, and golden lion tamarins.