Looters' arrest uncovers 2,000-year-old workshop near Jerusalem biblical pilgrimage path

Authorities successful Israel precocious conducted a sting cognition against antiquities thieves — and uncovered a 2,000-year-old store that erstwhile supplied pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the find Feb. 16. 

In a property merchandise shared with Fox News Digital, authorities said the store was recovered successful an underground cave connected Mount Scopus successful Jerusalem.

ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE UNCOVERED IN ISRAEL REVEALS JEWISH LIFE ALONGSIDE RISE OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Officials arrived astatine the cave 1 nighttime aft cautiously tracking the robbers — and caught them successful the act.

The suspects were caught red-handed with quarry tools and a metallic detector. The 5 suspects were arrested and confessed to the charges against them, according to officials.

Israeli authorities conducting a sting cognition connected Mount Scopus uncovered a 2,000-year-old store that erstwhile supplied Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

"They volition soon beryllium indicted some for harm to and for amerciable excavation of an antiquities tract — offenses punishable by law, for which the proscribed punishment is up to 5 years successful prison," the IAA merchandise stated.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS REVEAL UNUSUAL RITUAL OBJECTS FROM ANCIENT BIBLICAL CULT AT ARMAGEDDON SITE

But what began arsenic a theft probe rapidly turned into a large archaeological discovery.

The store dates to the Second Temple play — the epoch successful which Jesus lived and preached successful Jerusalem.

According to authorities, the tract erstwhile operated connected an concern scale, producing chromatic vessels for Jerusalem residents and visiting pilgrims. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

In the cave, officials recovered "hundreds of chromatic vas fragments, accumulation discarded and unfinished items," per the release.

"To their amazement, they discovered hundreds of unsocial chromatic vas fragments," the connection said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The tract was erstwhile located on a main roadworthy erstwhile utilized by Jewish pilgrims — peculiarly those traveling to and from the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea region.

"It seems that the vessels produced present were marketed successful the streets of Jerusalem to some the city's residents and to visitors making a pilgrimage during the Second Temple period," the IAA said.

"This was astir apt an concern standard store that produced vessels for the ample Jewish colonisation and pilgrims who arrived successful Jerusalem successful those days."

Officials besides said the accumulation and usage of the chromatic vessels were "unique to the Jewish population," arsenic spiritual rituals came into play.

"Ancient sources picture a gyration successful the tract of purity and impurity during this period, successful which determination was wide strictness successful the laws of impurity and purity that affected each person," said the release.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"During this period, archaeology has recovered that purification mikvahs began to beryllium installed successful backstage homes, successful villages and towns successful the countryside, alongside ample purification mikvahs successful the metropolis of Jerusalem, adjacent and astir the Temple environs, and on the roads starring up to Jerusalem."

The vessels were utilized for aggregate purposes, including drinking and storing grain, said Eitan Klein, the lawman manager of the Theft Prevention Unit astatine the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"To their amazement, [officials] discovered hundreds of unsocial chromatic vas fragments," the IAA said. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

Klein told Fox News Digital the grounds suggests the store erstwhile operated astatine a ample scale.

"This was astir apt an industrial-scale store that produced vessels for the ample Jewish colonisation and pilgrims who arrived successful Jerusalem successful those days," helium said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

In the property release, Klein said the find of the store is "particularly important, due to the fact that present a wide representation of the portion is emerging."

The artifacts are present connected show astatine the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel successful Jerusalem.

Experts accidental the chromatic vessels were utilized for drinking and storing atom during a play marked by strict Jewish purity laws. (Israel Antiquities Authority)

In a statement, Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu described the cave arsenic "not simply an archaeological site, but a model into a satellite preserved heavy wrong the ground, waiting for us."

"Attempts by our enemies to loot antiquities are not crimes of fiscal theft, but efforts to bargain our identity," said Eliyahu.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"We volition not let this, and volition proceed to enactment decisively to sphere and safeguard what has ever been ours, and ever volition be."