Antiquities robbers in Enot Shoa (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office)
Last Friday, inspectors from the Antiquities Authority's Unit for the Prevention of Robbery, in cooperation with the Northern District police, carried out a red-handed capture near the village of Ein Mahal in the Northern District. In this operation, five suspects were arrested while attempting to commit an antiquities robbery at an antiquities site about 2000,<> years old, dating to the Roman-Byzantine periods.
"Our team closely scans and monitors everything that is happening in the antiquities areas in Israel. Recently, we noticed robbery excavations that took place illegally around the village of 'Ein Mahal. From that moment, we embarked on an operation, until we caught the robbers," says Nir Distelfeld, supervisor of the Antiquities Authority's Unit for the Prevention of Robbery in the Northern Region. "The operation lasted about three weeks, until last Friday we decided to initiate an operation in order to catch the robbers. We ambushed them, and as soon as we recognized that they had begun digging attempts, I called for help from the Northern District police, and led the policeman who came to help. Together, we caught them red-handed."
"The operation lasted about three weeks." The suspects caught in Enot Shu'im (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Nir Distelfeld)
The suspects during the arrest (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Nir Distelfeld)
The site has long, branched hiding caves
"At approximately 18:00 P.M., a report was received by inspectors of the Antiquities Authority's Unit for the Prevention of Robbery about a number of suspects who are at a declared excavation site and are excavating at the site," the police spokeswoman said. "Northern District police officers were dispatched to the scene, who together with IAA inspectors led to their arrest."
The site where the robbers tried to dig was called "Enot Shu'im". There was a water source and a large settlement around it. Around the site, researchers identified artifacts from the prehistoric period to the Ottoman period, but most of the settlement was in the Roman-Byzantine periods. Long and branched hiding caves were also found at the site. It is reasonable to assume that the quarrying of the hiding caves of Enot Shu'im was connected to the turbulent events of the Jewish revolts against the Romans: dozens of caves were hewn in the Galilee in preparation for the revolt - which, in the end, did not reach this area. "Fortunately, the hiding caves, which are among the largest in the area, were not damaged during the recent robberies, and the activity prevented enormous damage."
The damaged site area. View from the excavation (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Nir Distelfeld)
The excavation tools used by the robbers (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Nir Distelfeld)
Next to the cave: columns, hammers, quarrying tools and metal detectors
According to Distelfeld, "Next to the cave were tools that the robbers planned to use - columns, hammers, quarrying tools and metal detectors. In front of the cave you can see medium-sized ancient quarries. These were, apparently, storage compartments. It is possible that the suspects who were apprehended managed to "clean" these ancient cells of artifacts before they were caught. No antiquities were found in a search of the suspects' bodies, but the matter is under investigation."
The suspects were detained for further interrogation at the Israel Antiquities Authority.
According to Eli Escozido, Director General of the Israel Antiquities Authority: "Due to the special and convenient nature of the Land of Israel, it was inhabited throughout almost all periods. Accordingly, the number of antiquities sites in Israel is large - almost unimaginable. It is our responsibility to protect them. And we need the public's help. In any case of antiquities robbery, please report it to us."
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