An antiquities expert attempting to sneak an ancient measuring- weight out of Israel was thwarted by a joint Postal Authority, Antiquities Authority and Customs Bureau effort.

The weight is made of bronze and was used by businessmen and traders during the Bar Kochba period (132-135 C.E.). On the weight, “Year 3” is inscribed, referring to the third year of Jewish autonomy during that era. There are also letters that appear to spell “Shimon Bar Kochba – Prince of Israel.” Jewish symbols such as a palm branches and a menorah are carved into the weight as well.

The head of the unit for preventing antiquities smuggling, Amir Ganor, told Arutz-7’s Shimon Cohen that the smugglers attempted to hide the weight inside a book. They carved a hole inside the book by cutting out parts of its pages. Postal workers discovered the weight during a routine search; they alerted Customs officials, who in turn called in members of the Antiquities Authority.

An initial investigation revealed that the smuggling of a rare archaeological artifact had been attempted, leading to the arrest of the smuggler.

The smuggler turned out to be a former antiquities dealer and expert in antiquities law. His legal knowledge made it obvious to him that exporting such an artifact would not be approved, as it falls into the class of archaeological artifacts of national importance. The smuggler therefore hid it in the book and attempted to mail it to the United States.

The Antiquities Authority requested a search warrant for the smuggler’s home. During the search, agents of the authority found documents attesting to the smuggling of other very rare artifacts.

Ganor said that the weight was only the fifth of its kind ever discovered. Two of the weights are in the Israel Museum, and the others are in the possession of private collectors. The significance of the weights lies in what they teach about the Bar Kochba revolt. The weights were a symbol of autonomy from the Roman government, as attested by the inscription, “Shimon Bar Kochba – Prince of Israel.”

The expert attempted to send the weight to an international antiquities expert, one who is widely published and visits Israel at least twice a year to transport approved artifacts from Israel to America.

The Antiquities Authority is seeking an indictment against the Israeli smuggler, and plans on arresting the American buyer should he come to Israel as well. If not, a request will be filed for the relevant U.S. authorities to open an investigation of his activities. (IsraelNationalNews © 05/18/05)