The conflict was ignited when a man decided to build on land he acquired in Tzippori, which had been found to contain archaeological findings. The man was ordered by the Antiquities Authority to allow a dig, which uncovered an ancient Jewish burial cave.
The authority notified the police and the Ministry of Religious Affairs of its findings and said it planned to dig further in order to document them.
But large groups of haredim have been arriving to protest at the site for the past few days, fearing the graves may be damaged. Four were arrested, and others were prevented from entering the area. The dig began Sunday morning, with large police forces securing the group of scientists.
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Sunday, March 07, 2010
Rioting in Mea Shearim
RIOTING IN MEA SHEARIM (Ynetnews):