Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight
  

A Window into the Charedi World

1 Av 5759 - July 14, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

 

Sponsored by
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Shema Yisrael Torah Network

Produced and housed by
Jencom

News
Director of the Antiquities Authority Insists on Destruction of Lachish Burial Cave

by B. Rabinowitz and B. Kahn

A large, impressive burial cave with 9 burial beds filled with human bones has been discovered during recent archaeological excavations in the Lachish area, near the settlement of Shekef. The excavations are being conducted as part of an effort to expand patrol routes along the green line.

The Ma'atz company, which is carrying out the work in the area, agreed to forego excavation of the cave, and has asked the archaeologists to stop their desecration of the cave, especially since it is outside the course of the road being paved. Despite this, Director General of the Antiquities Authority, Amir Drori, with inexplicable obduracy, insists on excavation and destruction of the grave. He has even announced that he will be present at the site in order to personally guarantee that the graves are indeed desecrated.

Members of the Federation for the Prevention of the Desecration of Graves remained on the site during working hours for two full days, in order to prevent desecration of the burial cave. Kiryat Gat Police, headed by station commander Police Superintendent Henry Ben-Shanan and Police Superintendent Yosef Eluzein, are to be highly commended for the positive manner in which they tried to solve the problem. They patiently they managed to calm the atmosphere and to halt the excavations.

Extensive efforts are being made by activists and public figures headed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and Rabbi Meir Porush, to safeguard the cave. For this purpose, they are appealing to the highest governmental levels.

In light of the obstinacy of the archaeologists and Amir Drori's announcement, a group of communal leaders arrived on the scene this past Friday, and bodily protected the caves. A crew of cameramen, who are preparing a documentary for the media about grave desecration, arrived on the scene, together with a number of the activists. However, they were not permitted to enter the cave area nor to take photographs. Border Guard policemen stationed at the site prevented Rabbi Micha Rothschild from entering the cave. Rabbi Rothschild is one of the senior activists of the Federation for the Prevention of the Desecration of Graves.


All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.