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9 Tammuz 5760 - July 12, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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News
Archaeologists Destroy Haifa Burial Cave

by Yehuda Ariel

A burial cave discovered last week in Haifa has been destroyed by archaeologists. Two avreichim who protested desecration of the cave on Shivat Tziyon Street were detained by police but released shortly.

Efforts to prevent the desecration began at the beginning of the week. Rabbi Chaim Williger and Rabbi Arye Blitental, UTJ representatives in the Haifa Municipality, were in touch with the Antiquities Authority, the Haifa Municipality and various activists.

The cave was discovered during the laying of a new sewage line in the Wadi Saklib neighborhood. The work was conducted by the Yefe Nof municipal company, but upon discovery of the burial cave, work was halted and archaeologists were summoned to the site.

Rabbi Blitental tried to reach Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna, who was unavailable. In Mitzna's absence his assistant, Kobi Bela, handled the issue. The Municipality was unable to halt the excavations and, as a result, police officers intervened to prevent disturbances.

After a number of days in which excavations were delayed, archaeologists -- under police protection -- arrived on the scene and began digging in the tunnel. They brought with them a declaration to the effect that the bones found within were those of sheep and goats. However, an opposing opinion expressed by the Religious Affairs Ministry concludes that the bones are those of humans: animals would surely not have been buried in such luxurious caves. The opinion of the Religious Affairs Ministry was rejected, however, and the excavations continued.

Avreichim from Haifa's Neve Sha'anan community protested desecration of the graves and tried to bodily prevent the excavations. Police rushed in to detain two of them for investigation. They were released a short while later.


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