Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Man returns stolen Second Temple ossuary

THE "EW" FACTOR has saved an important Second Temple-era relic for science:
Man returns stolen Second Temple ossuary
Man contacts Antiquities Authority at his own initiative after realizing the item was an ossuary, saying he purchased it from an antiquities dealer some time ago.

By Nir Hasson (Haaretz)

A Tel Aviv resident returned a Second Temple period artifact to the Antiquities Authority after realizing the item was an ossuary.

The man, who works in the field of art and design, contacted the authority inspectors at his own initiative, saying he purchased the ossuary from an antiquities dealer some time ago. He told them he kept the ancient artifact in his bedroom, until one of his friends told him this was a small coffin used to store bones a year after the burial. He said he was repelled by the thought that he slept with a coffin in his room.

[...]
Via Joseph Lauer.