A special task force consisting of Kafr Kanna town police and the Theft Prevention Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority has discovered a unique burial cave carved into rock, containing the remains of individuals who are said to be “at rest for the second time.”
According to Heritage Daily, the initial goal of the task force was to thwart rampant looters and antiquities thieves in the area. However, the operation ultimately turned into a significant archaeological discovery.
Empty burial boxes in the tomb – (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority).
While investigating a plot of land near a village called Mashhad, they found two burial caves carved into rock. Based on the burial customs reflected in niches, small boxes, and ossuaries, it is estimated that these date back to the early Roman period, around the 1st century BCE.
These two remarkable rock-hewn tombs have been heavily damaged by construction activities above them. In the second cave, an ossuary was found empty and displaced from its original position, indicating that the tomb had been recently looted.
Ossuaries are small rectangular chests carved from soft limestone, used to inter human bones after reburial.
Closer examination of one of the ossuaries revealed an inscription in Greek describing the tomb.
Another ossuary was carved with a circular wreath, featuring drilled holes, which some believe symbolizes the deceased’s victory over death.
There is ongoing construction directly above the tombs. All construction work has been halted, and several workers have been summoned to the local police station for suspected discovery of antiquities without reporting them, as well as causing damage to these artifacts.
In Israel, citizens have a legal obligation to report to the Antiquities Authority when an accidental discovery is made. Damaging antiquities in this country is a criminal offense, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
