Security Is Tight for Israel Exhibition

Under the strictest security measures ever taken at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, more than 500 visitors passed through metal detectors and armed guards Saturday to view the opening of an exhibition of ancient artifacts from Israel.

No threats had been made against the museum but officials decided to strengthen police presence after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to protect the artifacts. Armed officers were stationed at the entrance and scattered inside the Santa Ana museum for the opening day of “Holy Land.”

“Everything we’ve done is prevention,” said Susan Metcalf, the museum’s spokeswoman. “We want people to feel safe.”

Visitors passed through metal detectors, purses were searched, pockets were emptied. Large bags and backpacks were not allowed. Usually visitors are allowed to take pictures without a flash; on Saturday they could take none.

“The security is a little exaggerated,” said Manuel Aguilar, an art professor at Cal State Los Angeles. “Terrorists want to target symbolic places or a bigger museum that attracts more people. I don’t think anything will happen here.”

But since the Sept. 11 attacks, “there’s a sense of alertness that everyone is cautious about everyone’s movements,” Aguilar said.

The security checks were quick and did not deter visitors.

The exhibition, which closes Jan. 9, features the House of David inscription--a 3,000-year-old stone fragment containing the first mention of King David outside of the Hebrew scriptures that has never before left Israel. And the Dead Sea Scrolls made a rare California appearance.

Saturday’s exhibition attracted 505 visitors--one of the highest attendance numbers for a single-day crowd. The viewing room, which shows a 50-minute movie about the artifacts, was standing room only.

Metcalf compared the exhibition to the “Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors From China’s Imperial Palace,” which drew about 102,000 visitors about two years ago.