Arabs Caught Digging for Gold at Archaeological Ruins
by Yehudah Lev Kay
Border police officers caught seven Arabs from eastern Jerusalem digging for gold at the “Lemon Well” archaeological site near Beit Shemesh on Thursday.
The suspects will face charges of unauthorized excavation at an archaeological site, a crime with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the police, the seven were caught in the act as they attempted to find the fabled gold buried near the ancient spring located near the Moshav of Yishi. The ruins at the site are a combination of a structure from the Roman period and a later pool from the Crusader period.
Police caught the gold diggers with ample excavating equipment including shovels, buckets, flashlights, a ladder, and a generator to pump the water out of the well.
The archaeological thieves were evidently superstitious as well – they brought along a book of magic and were caught as several read verses from the Koran, which they claimed was to “ward off demons found in the bowels of the earth.”
Although the group told police afterwards they came only to draw “holy water” from the site, their extensive excavations into the bottom of the well were testimony to different intentions.
“This isn’t the first time archaeological robbers have tried finding gold in the well,” Amir Ganor, who heads the Antiquities Authority anti-theft unit said. “Digging at an archaeological site without permission is against the law,” he emphasized.
The suspects were taken to Beit Shemesh police headquarters for questioning, and then released on bail. Police expect to press charges against them over the next few days.
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