The Vandalism of an Archaeological Site in Israel

Ynet is reporting that the Nabataean city of Avdat, located in the Negev, was found vandalized by bedouins. According to the report, “hundreds of archeological artifacts were found smashed, walls smeared with yellow and brown paint, and oil paint was smeared on the ancient wine press. Items hundreds and thousands of years old were severely damaged.”

According to the report, as a result of the vandalism, “the two most ancient churches in Israel were destroyed:”

Raviv Shapira, director of the southern district of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority told Ynet that the sight of the destruction was awful: “We came in the morning and found the place in shambles,” described Shapira. “They broke the staircase, destroyed the walls, and painted on them. The worst is that the two most ancient churches in Israel were destroyed, and 13-foot columns were shattered with hammers along with artifacts and the authentic marble alter, which is the most important (artefact) in the city.”

This act of vandalism is a blow to Israel’s effort at preserving the remains of the past . It is , as the article says, “a crime against humanity’s culture.”

Claude Mariottini

Professor of Old Testament

Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Avdat, Vandalism