A fascinating archaeological excavation is currently underway north of Nahal Zohar in the Judean Desert, revealing a large pyramid-shaped structure and a waystation that operated around 2,200 years ago during the Ptolemaic and Seleucid eras. This dig, led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage, is unearthing secrets that promise to reshape our understanding of the region's past.

Among the discoveries are fragments of written papyrus documents, bronze coins from the reigns of Antiochus IV and Ptolemaic kings, weapons, wooden tools, fabric scraps, and more. These artifacts, preserved remarkably well due to the desert climate, offer a glimpse into life during the Hellenistic period.

The site, known as Masad Zohar, is being excavated with the help of volunteers who have flocked to the desert to assist. Matan Toledano, Dr. Eitan Klein, and Amir Ganor, the excavation directors from the Israel Antiquities Authority, describe it as "one of the richest and most intriguing archaeological excavations ever found in the Judean Desert." They note the structure's enormous size, with hand-hewn stones weighing hundreds of kilograms each. "Already in the first excavation week, the volunteers found written historical documents, exceptional bronze vessels and remains of ancient furniture, which thanks to the desert climate were preserved in amazing condition," they said.

The finds include a piece of Greek-written papyrus, colorful beads, and an ancient button, showcasing the diversity of artifacts uncovered. "This is a very promising site – every moment new findings are discovered, and we are filled with anticipation for what else the next three weeks might produce!" the directors added. The excavation is part of a broader initiative by the IAA to protect archaeological treasures from looters, a mission that has been ongoing for eight years with funding from the Ministry of Heritage, the Civil Administration's Archaeology Officer, and the IAA itself.

This national project began with a systematic survey of the Judean Desert, covering 180 kilometers of cliffs and identifying around 900 caves. Using advanced rappelling equipment, cutting-edge technology, and unique documentation methods, the team has recovered thousands of rare items, including hidden scrolls, papyrus fragments, wooden tools, weapons, fabrics, leather goods, woven straw items, and coin hoards. The current dig at Nahal Zohar builds on these efforts, aiming to rescue history before it falls into the hands of thieves.

"This excavation changes the site's historical record," said Toledano, Klein, and Ganor. Previously thought to date back to the First Temple period, the structure now appears to have been built later, during the Hellenistic period under Ptolemaic rule in the land of Israel. Its purpose remains a mystery. "Is this a guard tower, guarding an important commercial route through which the Dead Sea resources of salt and bitumen were transported to the coastal ports? Or at some point was this enormous structure on the mountaintop marking a grave, or serving as a monument in ancient history? It is an enthralling historical mystery – and to our delight, the public coming to volunteer in the excavation are our partners in uncovering the answers," they noted.

Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu praised the discovery, saying, "This is yet another testament to the historical and cultural wealth buried in our land's soil. The pyramid structure and rare finds illuminate an important chapter in the history of the land of Israel and strengthen our deep connection to our heritage. I'm proud of the dedicated work by the Israel Antiquities Authority staff, who, alongside hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers, are saving these treasures from antiquity looters." He added, "The Judean Desert survey project is an excellent example of how the State of Israel preserves its cultural assets for future generations."

Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, echoed this sentiment. "The Judean Desert survey is one of the most important archaeological operations ever undertaken in the State of Israel's history. The discoveries are exciting and even emotional, and their significance for archaeological and historical research is enormous," he said. "Right now, just before Passover and with the onset of Spring, I invite the people of Israel to come and participate! In such a challenging time as we are in, a few days of staying in and experiencing discovery in the Judean Desert offer a connective and uplifting experience for everyone."

The dig has also drawn attention for its community aspect. The IAA has set up an organized camp for volunteers, providing food, water, and nightly enrichment lectures on archaeology. The excavation is slated to continue for another three weeks, with more details available on the IAA's website.

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A remarkable archaeological discovery near Beit Shemesh has unveiled a 5,000-year-old settlement that provides unprecedented insights into ancient Israel's first steps toward urbanization. The site features one of the earliest known temples in the Judean Lowlands, containing dozens of pristine ritual vessels and among the region's earliest known pottery kilns.

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered a 5,000-year-old settlement that offers rare evidence of early urbanization in ancient Israel. The discovery, made at the Horvat Hushim site during preparations for expanding the western "Brosh" industrial zone near Beit Shemesh, centers around an extraordinary public building believed to have served ceremonial purposes.

Inside the structure, researchers found a chamber containing about 40 perfectly preserved vessels, including numerous miniature ceremonial items. "It is interesting that these many pots and juglets were placed here just shortly before the entire site was abandoned forever," said excavation directors Ariel Shatil, Maayan Hemed, and Danny Ben-Ayon of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "You can literally imagine the people who put down this ware and left it all here. It is not known what happened in this room later, but there are signs of burning, and vessels that fell on top of each other. Laboratory examination of their former contents of the vessels using different scientific methods will shed additional light on the site: We will be able to tell if they contained oil, water, wheat – or perhaps they were specifically for exotic oils or other substances."

"The size of this structure, its broad walls, the benches inside it and other variables indicate that it is an important and exceptional structure with a public function – perhaps a temple," the excavation directors explained. "We know almost no public buildings in Israel from this ancient period and earlier. This is probably one of the earliest temples ever discovered in the Judean Lowlands."

Near the main structure, archaeologists discovered an enclosed area featuring large standing stones arranged in rows. "The standing stones were erected even before this enclosed public building was erected," said Dr. Yitzhak Paz, an Early Bronze Age specialist at the Israel Antiquities Authority. "Their presence promises to be instructive of the socio-political process involved in the founding of the cultic service in Hurvat Husham – it seems that originally there was an open cultic activity area for the general public which then transformed into ritual activity in an enclosed compound with more controlled access. This development process on the site, along with other processes, attests to an increase in social complexity."

The site, first discovered in 2021 during excavations led by Marion Zindel and Natan Ben-Ari, has been under extensive investigation for the past three and a half years. The excavation also revealed two pottery kilns for vessel production, ranking among the earliest ever found in Israel. "The site uncovered in Hurvat Husham is exceptional not only because of its size, but because it reveals to us some of the first characteristics of the transition from village life to urban life," the excavation directors explained. "The site teaches us that about 5,000 years ago, the first steps were already taken towards the development of an urban society in the Judean Lowlands. A few generations later, we already see large cities in the area, surrounded by a wall, with palaces and other buildings – such as at the site of Tel Yarmouth, which is in this site's range of vision."

The Early Bronze Age, roughly 5,000 years ago, represented a pivotal moment in ancient Israel's history. This era witnessed significant population growth and the emergence of the first hierarchical complex society. These changes manifested in ambitious public construction projects, including defensive walls, fortifications, and religious and administrative buildings. The period also saw the development of specialized crafts and extensive trade networks reaching Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia.

According to Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido, "The Land of Israel, due to its nature and its geographical location, was a fertile ground for the development of ancient civilizations. The Hurvat Husham site uncovered by the researchers of the Israel Antiquities Authority, reveals another important piece in the puzzle of urban development in our region."

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A groundbreaking archaeological study has upended the long-held belief that the Roman siege of Masada lasted three years. Using advanced technology and a fresh analytical approach, Tel Aviv University researchers now conclude that the famous standoff likely lasted only a few weeks, challenging a cornerstone of Israeli national mythology.

The study, published in the esteemed Journal of Roman Archaeology, employed cutting-edge tools, including 3D software, remote-sensing drones, and other advanced technologies. This innovative approach allowed the research team, led by Dr. Guy Stiebel, to gain fresh insights into the Roman army's tactics and the siege's duration.

"While Masada has been extensively studied since the early 19th century, modern technology allows us to ask new questions and gain novel perspectives on three key areas: water systems, access routes, and the Roman siege apparatus," Dr. Stiebel explained.

The research has shed new light on the Roman military's siege tactics and timeframe. "For decades, it was widely accepted that the Masada siege was a prolonged, three-year ordeal," Dr. Stiebel noted. "Recent scholarship has begun to question this assertion, and our study is the first to apply objective, data-driven methods to this question."

Dr. Hai Ashkenazi, now heading the Geoinformatics Department at the Israel Antiquities Authority and a collaborator on the study, detailed their methodology: "We have reliable data on the daily earth-moving capacity of Roman soldiers. With an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 troops involved in the Masada siege, we calculated that constructing the entire siege system – eight camps and a surrounding stone wall – would have taken less than two weeks. Historical sources suggest that an assault, lasting a few weeks at most, would have followed immediately."

In an interview with Israel Hayom, Dr. Stiebel emphasized the importance of examining the evidence through a Roman, rather than Israeli, lens. "The Roman army's modus operandi favored swift, decisive action. All on-site evidence points to a short-lived siege," he stated.

Addressing why the Romans targeted Masada in 73 CE, three years after Jerusalem's fall, Dr. Stiebel explained its strategic importance: "While Masada might seem isolated, it was actually close to a vital Roman resource – the balsam groves of Ein Gedi. The perfume produced from these trees was the empire's most valuable commodity, filling Rome's coffers. Masada's rebels were raiding Ein Gedi, destroying these precious trees. This prompted Rome's complex logistical operation to neutralize the threat."

Dr. Stiebel concluded: "The Masada narrative – the rebellion, siege, and tragic end – is deeply ingrained in Israeli identity and Zionist history. While our findings suggest a much shorter siege, they do not diminish the event's historical significance."

The research was conducted by the Neustatler Masada Expedition under the auspices of Tel Aviv University's Institute of Archaeology. Dr. Stiebel led the team, collaborating with Dr. Ashkenazi, doctoral candidates Boaz Gross from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute of Archaeology, and Omer Zeevi, now affiliated with the University of Bonn.

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Archaeologists claim to have discovered what is believed to be the world's oldest calendar, carved into a 12,000-year-old stone pillar at the Göbekli Tepe site, potentially challenging our current understanding of civilization.

The calendar is said to depict 365 "V" symbols representing days, divided into 12 lunar months plus an additional 11 days, suggesting a lunisolar calendar based on Moon phases and the Sun's position.

Göbekli Tepe is claimed to be the oldest known example of monumental architecture, consisting of circular and oval enclosures with massive T-shaped columns adorned with symbolic animal images and abstract symbols. The inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were skilled sky observers and may have played a role in the development of writing, although this occurred several thousand years later.

Symbols at the site are claimed to represent a depiction of the Taurid meteor shower, and carvings indicating a comet strike that led to the extinction of large animals and a mini ice age.

The depiction of a comet impact lasting 1200 years on a different artifact suggests a significant event that forced ancient people to transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settling down, kickstarting the development of civilization. The carvings at Göbekli Tepe were likely crucial to its inhabitants over millennia, possibly leading to the development of a new religion or cult following a comet impact around 10,850 BCE, which may have triggered a brief ice age and changes in human lifestyle and agriculture.

The Younger Dryas, a period of abrupt cooling around 13,000 years ago, may have influenced human cultures, leading to advancements in agriculture and religion, though the exact cause of this event is still debated by scientists.

Built by hunter-gatherers from 9,600 to 8,200 BC, Göbekli Tepe predates Stonehenge by over 6,000 years. Its purpose has puzzled experts for decades. The site is believed to be linked to rituals like funerals. Its advanced technological features from the Paleolithic-Neolithic period provide a chance to explore new perspectives on human evolution.

Sources: Independent, Olhar Digital, Clarín, Correio Braziliense, Mystery Planet, Daily Caller, Scenarieconomici, Earth, Anlatilanin Otesi, Marion Star, G4Media, Irish Examiner, Vosveteit, Daily Record, Daily Star, Hello Magyar.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Archaeologists discovered 12,000-year-old artifacts, including two distinct wooden sticks rubbed with animal or human fat, along with well-preserved hearths and tools, in Cloggs Cave located on the ancestral lands of the Gunaikurnai Aboriginal people in Australia.

The artifacts provide evidence of a ritual practice involving burning fat-smeared sticks, which may be one of the oldest continuously practiced traditions passed down by Indigenous Australians for around 500 generations.

The ritual was documented by ethnographer Alfred Howitt in the late 1800s and involved a healer or "mulla-mullung" from an Aboriginal community in Victoria, who would sing the name of the person needing healing or cursing, and the spell would be cast when the stick fell. This practice was similar to other tribes using pointed bones for spells.

Archaeological evidence of rituals is rare and has often not been preserved over long periods, making the discovery significant.

Radiocarbon dating revealed the sticks to be between 10,870 and 12,440 years old, making them the oldest ritual objects found in Australia.

The lack of food remains near the fireplaces suggests the sticks were central to a ritual passed down over generations, exclusively for ritual purposes from at least 25,000 years ago until 1,600 years ago.

The excavations in 2020 were led by the local Aboriginal community, represented by the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), in collaboration with archaeologists. The findings, including the sticks and crystals used in rituals, were discovered in a 50 cm x 50 cm section of the cave and have been published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

The researchers concluded that the cave was used for rituals rather than as a living space, suggesting a continuous tradition of ceremonies over thousands of years.

Sources: Live Science, O Globo, La Vanguardia, Yahoo News, ABC News, Courrier International, ABC, Postimees, Grenzwissenschaft-Aktuell, Stuttgarter Zeitung

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Israeli archaeologists have announced a groundbreaking discovery – the remains of what is believed to be the oldest shipwreck found in deep waters. Hundreds of intact amphorae, ancient storage jars dating back approximately 3,300 years, were discovered 90 kilometers (56 miles) off the northern coast of Israel, resting at a depth of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet) on the seabed.

"This is both the first and the oldest ship found in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea, ninety kilometers from the nearest shore. This is a world-class history-changing discovery: This find reveals to us as never before the ancient mariners' navigational skills," said Jacob Sharvit, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) marine unit, noting that it challenges previous academic assumptions that trade during the late Bronze Age was conducted by hugging coastlines within sight of land. "From this geographical point, only the horizon is visible all around. To navigate they probably used the celestial bodies, by taking sightings and angles of the sun and star positions." The IAA believes the ship likely sank due to a storm or pirate attack.

The wreck was initially spotted by submersible robots belonging to the oil and gas company Energean, during a routine survey for potential new energy sources off the Israeli coast. Dr. Karnit Bahartan Head of the Environmental Staff at Energean stated, "Cameras picked up what seemed to be a large pile of jugs heaped on the seafloor."

Due to the immense significance of this discovery, Energean assembled a team that collaborated closely with experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority to meticulously examine the shipwreck. They utilized their "Energean Star" vessel, equipped for deep-sea operations. The company's technicians devised a unique and intricate plan, even constructing a specialized tool to extract artifacts while minimizing the risk of damage to the entire assemblage. Over the course of two days at sea, the Energean team retrieved two vessels, each from opposite ends of the ship, to minimize disturbances to the intact assemblage of the boat and its cargo.

The two amphorae are believed to have been used by the Canaanite people who inhabited an area stretching from modern-day Turkey to Egypt. "The vessel type identified in the cargo was designed as the most efficient means of transporting relatively cheap and mass-produced products such as oil, wine, and other agricultural products such as fruit. Finding such a great quantity of amphorae on board one single ship is testimony to significant commercial ties between their country of origin and the ancient Near Eastern lands on the Mediterranean coast," says Sharvit.

The discovered jars are expected to be displayed at the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem this summer.

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An extraordinary discovery has captivated archaeologists and historians alike – a 2,300-year-old gold ring unearthed in the City of David, a renowned archaeological site in Jerusalem. The delicate artifact, likely belonging to a child during the Hellenistic period, was found during a joint excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, supported by the Elad Foundation.

Tehiya Gangate, a member of the excavation team, recounted the exhilarating moment of the find: "I was sifting through the earth, and suddenly, I saw something glitter. I immediately yelled, 'I found a ring, I found a ring!' Within seconds, everyone gathered around me, and there was great excitement. This is an emotionally moving find, not the kind you find every day. In truth, I always wanted to find gold jewelry, and I am very happy this dream came true – literally a week before I went on maternity leave."

Dr. Yiftah Shalev and Riki Zalut Har-tov, directors of the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, provided insights into the ring's significance. "The ring is very small. It would fit a woman's pinky, or a young girl or boy's finger," they explained. Dr. Marion Zindel noted that the ring was meticulously crafted by hammering thin gold leaves onto a metal base, reflecting the prevalent fashion of the Persian and Early Hellenistic periods from the late 4th to early 3rd century BCE.

Professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and excavator Efrat Bocher highlighted the broader implications of this find, stating, "The recently-found gold ring joins other ornaments of the early Hellenistic period found in the City of David excavations, including the horned-animal earring and the decorated gold bead." They added, "These new finds tell a different story: The aggregate of revealed structures now constitutes an entire neighborhood. They attest to both domestic and public buildings, and that the city extended from the hilltop westward. The character of the buildings – and now, of course, the gold finds and other discoveries, display the city's healthy economy and even its elite status."

Gold jewelry was a hallmark of the Hellenistic world, with Alexander the Great's conquests facilitating the spread of luxury goods across the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Eli Escusido, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasized the significance of such discoveries, stating, "The excavation in ancient Jerusalem reveals invaluable information to us about our past."

The rare find will be exhibited to the public for the first time during the free "Jerusalem Mysteries" conference hosted by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Jerusalem Day, shedding light on the city's rich history and the lives of its inhabitants during the Hellenistic era.

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Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a massive 1,800-year-old Roman military base near Tel Megiddo in Israel. The camp, used by the VI Iron Legion for over 180 years, was discovered during a recent excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The base measures an enormous 550 meters long by 350 meters wide and served as the permanent encampment for over 5,000 Roman soldiers from around 117-300 CE. Two main roads intersected at the headquarters in the center of the camp. The distances to cities across northern Israel were measured from this central point and marked by milestones along the Roman roads.

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Few architectural remains were preserved since building stones were removed over the centuries for reuse, but the excavation revealed parts of the main Via Pretoria road and a semicircular structure that was likely part of a monumental public building. A trove of artifacts was uncovered including coins, weapons, ceramics, and glass.

Video: 1,800-Year-Old Iron Legion Roman Legionary Base exposed at the foot of Tel Megiddo | Photo: Emil Eljam / Israel Antiquities Authority

According to excavation director Dr. Yotam Tepper, this is the only base of such scale ever discovered in Israel, whilst most camps were smaller or temporary. Surveys and digs over the past decade as part of the Jezreel Valley Research Project indicated a full legionary base likely existed buried under fields near Megiddo Junction.

The site's proximity to the Megiddo National Park World Heritage Site provides opportunities to boost tourism. IAA director Eli Escusido stated the discovery of the early Christian prayer hall at Megiddo Prison further enhances the area's historical and archaeological draw. The legionary base unveils new insight into the Roman army's extended presence and infrastructure in ancient Israel.

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An ancient Christian mosaic bearing an early reference to Jesus as God is at the center of a controversy that has riled archaeologists: Should the centuries-old decorated floor, which is near what's believed to be the site of the prophesied Armageddon, be uprooted and loaned to a U.S. museum that has been criticized for past acquisition practices?
Israeli officials are considering just that. The proposed loan to the Museum of the Bible in Washington also underscores the deepening ties between Israel and evangelical Christians in the U.S, whom Israel has come to count on for political support, tourism dollars and other benefits.

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The Megiddo Mosaic is from what is believed to be the world's earliest Christian prayer hall that was located in a Roman-era village in northern Israel. It was discovered by Israeli archaeologists in 2005 during a salvage excavation conducted as part of the planned expansion of an Israeli prison.

The prison sits at a historic crossroads a mile south of Tel Megiddo on the cusp of the wide, flat Jezreel Valley. The compound is ringed by a white steel fence topped with barbed wire and is used for the detention of Palestinian security inmates.

Video: A mosaic in northern Israel / Credit: IAA, EYECON

Across a field strewn with cow-dung and potsherds, the palm-crowned site of a Bronze and Iron Age city and ancient battles is where some Christians believe a conclusive battle between good and evil will transpire at the end of days: Armageddon. For some Christians, particularly evangelicals, this will be the backdrop of the long-anticipated climax at the Second Coming, when divine wrath will obliterate those who oppose God's kingdom; it serves as the focus of their hopes for ultimate justice.
The Israel Antiquities Authority said that it will decide about the move in the coming weeks, following consultations with an advisory body.

"There's an entire process that academics and archaeologists are involved with," said IAA director Eli Eskozido. The organization said that moving the mosaic from its original location was the best way to protect it from upcoming construction at the prison. Jeffrey Kloha, the Museum of the Bible's chief curatorial officer, said a decision on the loan would be made solely by the IAA. The museum "of course would welcome the opportunity to educate our thousands of visitors on important pieces of history such as this mosaic," he told The Associated Press via email.

Several archaeologists and academics have voiced vociferous objections to the notion of removing the Megiddo Mosaic from where it was found — and all the more so to exhibit it at the Museum of the Bible.
Cavan Concannon, a religion professor at the University of Southern California, said the museum acts as a "right-wing Christian nationalist Bible machine" with links to "other institutions that promote white evangelical, Christian nationalism, Christian Zionist forms.""My worry is that this mosaic will lose its actual historical context and be given an ideological context that continues to help the museum tell its story," he said.

Others balk at the thought of moving the mosaic at all before academic study is complete. "It is seriously premature to move that mosaic," said Matthew Adams, director of the Center for the Mediterranean World, an non-profit archaeological research institute, who is involved in digs at Tel Megiddo and the abutting Roman legionary camp of Legio.
Asked about criticisms of the Washington museum's practices, Kloha said, "Major museums and distinguished institutions committed to preserving history have had to grapple with cultural heritage issues, particularly in recent years."

"To be clear: Museum of the Bible is proud to have proactively launched research and a thorough review of items in its collections," he added. "The museum initiated returns where appropriate to countries of origin without obligation to do so and encourages other institutions to do the same."

Based on other finds found in the dig and the style of the letters in the inscriptions, IAA archaeologists have dated the mosaic floor to the third century — before the Roman Empire officially converted to Christianity and when adherents were still persecuted. Nonetheless, one of the donors who paid to decorate the ancient house of worship was a centurion serving in the adjacent Roman legionary camp.

The mosaic bears Greek inscriptions, among them an offering "To God Jesus Christ."

Since opening its doors in 2017, the Museum of the Bible has faced criticism over its collecting practices and for promoting an evangelical Christian political agenda. In 2018, it had to repatriate an ancient Mesopotamian tablet looted from Iraq and admit that several of the Dead Sea Scroll fragments in its collection were modern forgeries. American authorities also seized thousands of clay tablets and other looted antiquities from the museum's founder, Hobby Lobby president and evangelical Christian Steve Green, and returned them to Iraq.

The mosaic loan would reinforce ties between Israel and the museum. The museum sponsors two archaeological digs in Israel, has a gallery curated by the IAA. Kloha said the museum also is planning a lecture series featuring IAA archaeologists.

Evangelical Christians, whose ranks have been growing worldwide, have become some of Israel's most fervent supporters, donating large sums of money and visiting the country as tourists and pilgrims. In the U.S., they also lobby politicians in Congress in support of Israel.

Evangelicals, who make up more than a third of the world's estimated 2 billion Christians, say their affinity for Israel stems from Christianity's Jewish roots.
Some view the founding of Israel as fulfilling biblical prophecy, ushering in an anticipated Messianic age when Jesus will return and Jews will either accept Christianity or die. That tenet has generated unease among some Israelis, but politicians have embraced evangelical support for the state nonetheless.

Since its discovery, the mosaic has remained buried beneath the grounds of the Megiddo Prison. But in recent years the Israeli government has started advancing a multi-year plan to move the prison from its current location and develop a tourist site around the mosaic.

The Tel Megiddo archaeological site is already a major attraction for evangelical Christians visiting the Holy Land. Busloads of pilgrims stop on their way to or from the Galilee to see the ruins of a biblical city and pray at the site where they believe the apocalypse will take place. Neither the IAA nor the museum would discuss the exact terms of the loan proposal, but Eskozido suggested something similar to the decade-long global tour of a Roman mosaic found in the central Israeli city of Lod until Israel had completed a museum to house it.

Experts remain skeptical of uprooting the mosaic. "Once you take any artifact outside of its archaeological context, it loses something, it loses a sense of the space and the environment in which it was first excavated," said Candida Moss, a theology professor at University of Birmingham who co-wrote a book about the Museum of the Bible.
Rafi Greenberg, a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University, said the proposal smacked of colonialism, where historically dominant powers have extracted archaeological discoveries from colonies.

"Even if Israel doesn't ever recognize itself as being a colony, it is actually behaving like one, which I find odd," he said. Greenberg said that archaeological finds "should stay where they are and not be uprooted and taken abroad to a different country and basically appropriated by a foreign power."

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Over the past several days, Staff Officer for Archeology (SOA) inspectors within the Civil Administration carried out enforcement operations in the Tel Aroma archaeological site in Samaria, located in Area B, which is under Palestinian civilian control. This is a relatively rare operation since, up until several months ago, the Civil Administration refrained from enforcing violations of archaeological sites not located in Area C, which is in full Israeli control.

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"Tel Aroma" is a biblical site mentioned in the Book of Judges and a Hasmonean fortress city. It overlooks the Itamar Ridge and has been suffering from extensive destruction of its archaeology. Among other incidents, it was discovered that a Hasmonean fortification wall with a unique Herodian addition of decorated stones was stolen. About a year ago, Israel Hayom revealed that the Palestinian Authority planned to build a Palestinian heritage site and a mosque commemorating the shahids (martyrs) at the location. This plan was considered "terrorism aimed at harming Jewish history" by Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council.

Video: Rare collection of coins found / Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

The "Shomrim al Hanetzach" (Preserving the Eternal) organization says that last week, the Civil Administration personnel confiscated an excavator used at the site to pave an illegal road while destroying archaeological finds. As a result of the excavator's confiscation, the violations were stopped.

The Civil Administration has recently changed its policy and began operating in Area B as well, where violations of antiquities laws and archaeological site destruction occur. Several months ago, Israel Hayom reported that the Civil Administration operated in the Khirbet Turpin ruins, also located in Area B. At the beginning of this month, SOA personnel operated in Khirbet Turpin again, confiscating four vehicles and arresting looters at the scene.

"We welcome the new trend," Moshe Gutman, chairman of Preserving the Eternal, noted. He said, "The State of Israel has understood that it is also responsible for heritage sites located in Area B. The policy change that began in Khirbet Turpin is spreading throughout Judea and Samaria, led by the political echelon. We hope to see more and more effective enforcement operations such as these. The heritage belongs to us all."

The Israeli government declared a stated goal to act against the phenomenon of archaeological site destruction in Judea and Samaria and preserve the Jewish heritage in the region. Last week, as was published by Israel Hayom, the government approved a massive plan to combat the destruction of antiquities, allocating NIS 120 million ($32 million) to the cause.

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