"Minimal damage" to (traditional) Tomb of Mordechai and Esther

UPDATE: Iranian Officials Say Minimal Damage At Ancient Jewish Site After Allegations Of Arson Attack (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty).

The cause of the incident on May 15, which U.S.-based Jewish groups have condemned as an “anti-Semitic” attack, is still not clear.

Authorities have said that the incident is being investigated.

Speaking on May 17 as he visited the site, the head of Tehran’s Jewish community Homayoun Somayeh said that the shrine of Esther and Mordechai is “completely intact,” adding that the incident has been “magnified and exaggerated” by the enemies of the Islamic republic.

Background here. And follow the links from there for more post on this shrine.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.