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Palestinian Antiquities Robbers Caught Red-Handed in Judean Desert

(Israel Antiquities Authority) Last weekend, members of the Arad Rescue Unit, who were undergoing routine training in the early morning hours, identified suspicious movement in a cave in the northern cliff of Nahal Ze'elim in the Judean Desert. Inspectors of the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery of the Israel Antiquities Authority were called to the scene. Suspects were observed carrying out an illicit excavation while using a metal detector and excavating equipment. They caused tremendous damage in the cave known as "The Cave of the Skulls," by destroying archaeological strata and historical evidence from the Roman period c. 2,000 years ago and the Chalcolithic period c. 5,000 years ago. The suspects - all from the Palestinian village of Seir near Hebron in the West Bank - demonstrated considerable expertise in reaching the cave by climbing and rappelling from the cliff using special equipment they possessed. As the suspects climbed back up to the top of the cliff during the evening, inspectors of the Unit were waiting. Amir Ganor, director of the Unit, said, "For many years now gangs of antiquities robbers have been operating along the Judean Desert cliffs."
2014-12-08 00:00:00
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