Artifact from First Temple-era Judea seized from Jewish philanthropist’s collection declared ‘example of Palestinian cultural patrimony.’
US returns 2,700-year-old looted cosmetic spoon to Palestine
Israel’s new government is challenging the transfer by American authorities of a rare artifact from ancient Israel to the Palestinian Authority, after the item was seized from the collection of a prominent American Jewish philanthropist.
In 2017, a multinational investigation was launched into the collection of billionaire hedge funder and Birthright Israel cofounder Michael Steinhardt, amid allegations he had illegally acquired numerous artifacts and works of art.
Authorities in New York began seizing items from Steinhardt’s collection in January, 2018.
In December 2021, Steinhardt reached an agreement with prosecutors to relinquish control of 187 artifacts out of his collection of over 1,000 items.
The artifacts, which Steinhardt is said to have acquired illegally – including from sites in Israel – were returned to their respective countries of origin.
One item’s return, however, has sparked a dispute between American officials and the new Netanyahu government.
An ivory spoon from Steinhardt’s collection, dating back to between 800 and 700 BCE, during the First Temple period, was transferred to the Palestinian Authority on January 5th, “the first event of such repatriation,” the United States State Department said. Arutz Sheva wrote about it here.
George Noll, who heads the State Departments’ Office of Palestinian Affairs, said in January that the US “is proud to facilitate the return of this rare antiquity, an example of Palestinian cultural patrimony.”
“This is a historic moment between the American and Palestinian people and a demonstration of our belief in the power of cultural exchanges in building mutual understanding, respect, and partnership.”
The ivory artifact, categorized as a “cosmetic spoon” used to place incense onto fires for ritual purposes, was acquired by Steinhardt in 2003 from Israeli antiquities dealer Gil Chaya.
Chaya has been in the past been accused of dealing in looted artifacts, at least 28 of which were sold to Steinhardt.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., whose office oversaw the spoon’s transfer, said the spoon was handed over to Palestinian Authority officials in Bethlehem, where the item was first unearthed.
But the precedent-setting handover has drawn criticism from the Israeli government, with the Heritage Ministry examining legal action against the transfer.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) said in a statement last week that the legality of the transfer “is being examined by the archaeology staff officer with the legal counsel, which will examine all aspects of the matter, including the Oslo Accords that the U.S. has signed.”
On Sunday, Eliyahu vowed his ministry would protect Jewish heritage sites and artifacts in Jude and Samaria.
“All heritage on both sides of the green line will earn full protection, at an international and scientific standard,” the minister wrote on Facebook, pledging the Heritage Ministry will “act in a uniform and professional manner from the sea to the Jordan.”
Sorry folks. I got too involved in “The TEN LOST”. aspects. There were 13 Tribes altogether as we all know. Levi………………..???? !!!
dreuveni-
There were NO Ten Lost Tribes. There were, at most, 5-6, and they remained in Babylon.. We don’t know why thy did. . Small splinters voyaged on to several different places where they left traces of their DNA.
We don’t know why they did.
The other “missing” tribes assimilated with Yahud, I refer to those
bordering on Yahud in the original layout off the territory of each tribe.
Besides all this…there were Eleven tribes. Don’t forget the 2 sons of Josepg were each a tribe whilst their father was not. And Levi was spread amongst them all. The recent “discovery” of missing tribes is spurious.
And the ten lost tribes left their DNA there too.
The West is engaged in double-talking and undermining Israel!
This is anti-semitism.
@Tanna: So far, genetics isn’t an exact science although it will be in the future. Various obsessed people try to prove a point based on this or that marker, then someone on the other side uses another marker to prove something else. A good example of how genetics is politicized is discussion of the Khazars. I’d guess that if genetic markers are used to steal and transfer land, it would have more to do with politics than genetics. BTW, if some international fascist entity tries to argue that Israel should be handed to descendants of this or that ancient tribe, here are two arguments against it: ME populations are mixed and are unlike what they were back in the day. There may be as many Canaanites living as Israeli Jews as in Syria. Also, Jews lived in many areas outside of Israel and have no doubt left some DNA in the local populations. How about giving back parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia? We can use the oil. Oh, and if the Khazar obsessives are right, we get Kazakhstan and Ukraine. And Sweden gets Russia, Scotland gets Iceland. And where were the Canaanites from, anyway? None of this is known.
800 to 700 BCE the Jews where in the land and had a temple. There were no Palestinian Authority nor Palestinian people.
But lest we forget there are Canaanites in the land from Syria and Lebanon all the way to Sothern Israel and we have their DNA to prove they have been there longer than the Jews and their descendants walk among us.
Israel is occupying the land of the people who are living today who are descendants of the Canaanites. We have the evidence.
What’s coming? I think you should be able to figure it out. And my fear since I live in the USA, is what our idiot government is doing.
Geneticists Have Found Traces Of Biblical Figures Hidden In The DNA Of Modern Populations
https://youtu.be/bdRRs5W6t0I