▁Brad street , ▁the ▁Bib lic al ▁Z oo ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁tour ist ▁att raction ▁in ▁Israel ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁logged ▁a ▁record ▁ 7 3 8 , 0 0 0 ▁visitors ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁zoo ▁had ▁about ▁ 5 5 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Dow nt own ▁Jerusalem ▁( 1 9 4 0 – 1 9 4 7 ) ▁ ▁The ▁Jerusalem ▁Bib lic al ▁Z oo ▁opened ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁" an imal ▁corner " ▁on ▁Rab bi ▁K ook ▁Street ▁in ▁central ▁Jerusalem . ▁The ▁zoo ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Ah aron ▁Sh ul ov , ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁zo ology ▁at ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁University ▁of ▁Jerusalem , ▁Mount ▁Sc opus . ▁Among ▁Sh ul ov ' s ▁goals ▁were ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁research ▁facility ▁for ▁his ▁students ; ▁to ▁gather ▁animals , ▁re pt iles ▁and ▁birds ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁Bible ; ▁and , ▁as ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁to ▁break ▁down ▁the ▁" in visible ▁wall " ▁between ▁the ▁intellect uals ▁on ▁Mount ▁Sc opus ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁public . ▁ ▁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 , ▁re pt iles ▁and