Captured ancient and spectacular items - turned out to be a loot of fighters of the Bar Kochba revolt

The Israel Antiquities Authority estimates that the ancient and rare items seized from antiquities dealers in Jerusalem last week were loot confiscated by Bar Kochba rebel fighters from Roman soldiers looted from a hiding place during the Bar Kochba revolt in the Judean Plain.

Ziv Reinstein

15/12/2021

Wednesday, 15 December 2021, 09:00 Updated: 09:13

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Ancient items from the Bar Kochba revolt were seized from antiquities robbers in Jerusalem (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority)

What did decorated bronze censers do for incense and vessels for pouring wine, in a hiding system from the days of the Bar Kochba revolt in the Judean lowlands?

Antiquities Authority investigators estimate that there are spectacular archeological finds seized by the Capital Heart Police from antiquities dealers last week, as published in Walla!

Tourism, were in fact part of a loot taken by the fighters of the Bar Kochba revolt in battles with Roman soldiers.

Last week, detectives from the Lev HaBira police station in Jerusalem noticed during a routine activity in the Musrara neighborhood, in a vehicle traveling in the direction of the sign.

This aroused the suspicion of the detectives, and they detained the vehicle and its occupants for inspection.

To their amazement, detectives found a crate in the trunk, containing impressive and unusual archeological finds.

More on Walla!

The police stopped a car in Jerusalem and found a treasure trove of ancient coins

To the full article

The items found are part of a loot taken by the fighters of the Bar Kochba revolt from Roman soldiers (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, July Schwartz)

The items are in exceptional condition (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, July Schwartz)

According to the researchers, the bronze items that were exposed are relatively rare in Israel (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, July Schwartz)

The items were used in noble houses and temples

Inspectors from the Antiquities Authority's Robbery Prevention Unit who were called to the police station immediately understood that these were finds from the Roman period, in an exceptional state of preservation. Among other things, two 2000-year-old decorated bronze censers were seized, which were used to incense incense in rituals and were used in Roman noble houses and temples. In addition, a bronze jug that was used to pour wine was discovered. The vessel depicts a scene of a Roman banquet; A human figure lies and turns for pleasure, holding a jug of wine in her hand. In addition, a decorated stone bowl with three legs, Roman pottery candles, and hundreds of coins, dating to the Late Roman period - 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, were seized.

The exposed bronze items are relatively rare in the country. This is because - similar to today, metal was an expensive material, which used to be smelted for reuse. Such items are found at archeological sites in circumstances where they were deliberately hidden, or taken as part of a host of war to the hiding systems in which the fighters of the Bar Kochba revolt hid.

The discovery of the findings led to the opening of a criminal investigation by the Antiquities Authority against the three suspects who were in the vehicle.

The investigation raised suspicions that the items were brought to Jerusalem with the aim of selling them to an antiques dealer.

The Robbery Prevention Unit believes that the ancient items were robbed from a hiding system from the days of the Bar Kochba revolt, which has been under surveillance in recent months.

Bronze censers from the Roman period that were used for worship (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, July Schwartz)

Inspectors from the Antiquities Authority's Robbery Prevention Unit examine the items (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, July Schwartz)

"Unfortunately, the robbers managed to escape"

The Robbery Prevention Unit explains that the explanation that the tools were taken as booty by Bar Kochba fighters - and were not used by the Jewish fighters, stems from the fact that the tools are typical cult tools for Romans, carrying pagan figures and symbols (as opposed to the Jewish ban on making statues and masks). In addition, in the days of the Bar Kochba revolt, the Temple was no longer standing, so there was no longer a Jewish ritual of offering offerings or smoking incense. When the Jewish warriors wanted to use such tools, they used to cut off the tip of the figures in order to abolish the ban on foreign labor.

According to Amir Ganor, director of the Antiquities Authority's Anti-Robbery Unit, "Recently, near the Tarkumiya crossing, we identified unauthorized archeological excavations at the site during the Bar Kochba uprising. "Unfortunately, the robbers managed to escape. During their escape, they left behind in the excavation ancient finds, similar to the finds now seized by the suspects. We believe that the finds now seized in Jerusalem came from this site." Ganor adds that "I would like to note the activity of the detectives of the Lev HaBira police station in Jerusalem, whose vigilance led to the capture of the findings and the success of the investigation, so that the attempt to sell the unique antiquities was thwarted."

According to the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Eli Escozido, "The Israel Antiquities Authority makes a daily effort to prevent unauthorized excavations at antiquities sites throughout the country, in cooperation with the Israel Police and other law enforcement agencies. "For everything, offered for sale for greed money. There is great value in thwarting antiquities attempts, seizing the valuable findings and returning them to the public and state.

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