PA Antiquities Robbers Caught Red-Handed in Temple Period Caves

A squad of antiquities robbers from the PA Arab village of Surif, 25 kilometers northwest of Hebron, was caught red-handed this week robbing and destroying an underground system from the Second Temple period at the antiquities site of Kherbat Umm A-Ros, located near Ramat Beit Shemesh and Moshav Aviezer.

In an operation by the Antiquities Robbery Prevention Unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with Matte Yehuda Police officers, the squad was caught while digging at the antiquities site, trying to loot ancient artifacts from the place.

Three of the suspects were caught inside an underground system of spaces that was used for storage in the days of the Second Temple, going until the Bar-Kochba rebellion. The robbers caused irreparable damage to the ancient remains in the caves. Another suspect, who was caught above the entrance to the cave, was used as a lookout for the squad.

The suspects were caught in possession of a digging tool and a metal detecting device, with which they planned to identify ancient coins and steal them.

Last Saturday night, the antiquities robbery prevention unit received reports of suspicious activity at the site. Inspectors observed the scene and identified the squad in action. The inspectors sneaked up on the robbers and arrested four PA Arab suspects red-handed, all from Surif, inside an ancient underground system of cavities inside which they dug without permission.

The suspects were detained late at night, and taken by Border Patrol soldiers for questioning at the police station, following which they were remanded for four days by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. On Wednesday, the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed a severe indictment against the suspects, for causing irreparable damage to the antiquities site and for illegal stay in Israel.

In the ancient Kharbat Umm A-Ros there are remains of a Jewish settlement that lasted from the time of the Second Temple to the time of the Bar-Kochba revolt. They were preserved in the eastern part of the H’Ella valley. The site contains remains of ancient buildings, cisterns, many underground spaces, and a mikvah carved in the rock.

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