The Do’s and Don’ts of Buying Antiquities in Israel
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Tourists, collectors and even scholars have long purchased antiquities legally in Israel. Some of these purchased antiquities, such as the James Ossuary and the ivory pomegranate, are well known to BAR readers.a Most, however, are simple coins, oil lamps and clay pots, the everyday items of ancient life that, millennia later, have become treasured possessions of their new owners.
But what exactly makes the purchase (and sale) of antiquities legal in Israel?
This issue made headlines recently when American John Lund, a longtime tour guide to Israel and retired university lecturer, was arrested in Israel on charges of antiquities trafficking. In May, the 70-year-old Lund was arrested by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Israeli customs officials as he attempted to leave the country with ancient coins, clay lamps and scores of checks totaling $20,000. The IAA claims the money was obtained from the illegal sale of antiquities.
According to Israeli officials, who had been monitoring Lund’s activities for several weeks prior to his arrest, Lund was caught earlier in the month selling antiquities in a Jerusalem hotel to members of his tour group but was released with only a warning. When Lund continued selling antiquities, however, authorities decided to arrest him and seize the coins and checks they claim he had obtained illegally. In a separate operation, they seized dozens of artifacts Lund allegedly sold to members of his most recent tour group as they were leaving the country.
After paying a $7,500 bond, Lund was allowed to leave Israel, although he will have to return to face charges later this year. If convicted, Lund could face up to three years in prison in Israel.
Lund claims he was unaware that he was doing anything wrong. The checks, he says, were not from the “sale” of artifacts, but simply money paid back to him by tourists for whom he had purchased antiquities. And the ancient coins and artifacts? He claims they were from his own private collection, which he takes on his travels to educate tourists about the world of the Bible. In any case, he says, he had no idea that permission was needed to take antiquities out of the country.
Ultimately, an Israeli court may decide if Lund is simply a naïve, uninformed tour guide or a serial antiquities trafficker out for personal gain.
But since the buying and selling of antiquities is legal in Israel, what exactly did Lund do (or not do) to get arrested? And why were his coins and lamps, as well as the artifacts he allegedly sold his tour members, seized by authorities?
The simple answer is that Lund was not registered with the IAA as an authorized antiquities dealer. In order to sell antiquities legally in Israel, according to scholar and (authorized) Tel Aviv antiquities dealer Robert Deutsch, the seller must have an official license issued by the IAA. In order to obtain and keep their licenses, dealers pay an annual fee of 1,880 shekels (around $550) and provide the IAA with an up-to-date inventory of their collections. The licenses also have to be prominently displayed in the dealer’s shop.
And because Lund was not legally authorized to sell antiquities in Israel, he was also not legally authorized to provide the tourists who purchased antiquities with another key document: an export permit. According to Deutsch, anyone purchasing antiquities from 015 an authorized dealer must obtain an export permit to take their new treasure out of the country.
The free, IAA-issued permits can be obtained either through the e-mailed request of the dealer or by visiting the IAA office at the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. Deutsch says most permits are issued within one to three days, although permits are only issued for those objects purchased from authorized dealers. In addition, certain antiquities, like large architectural pieces, stone or clay ossuaries or anything deemed by the IAA to include an important or unique inscription, cannot be taken out of the country, even if purchased legally.—J.C.
Tourists, collectors and even scholars have long purchased antiquities legally in Israel. Some of these purchased antiquities, such as the James Ossuary and the ivory pomegranate, are well known to BAR readers.a Most, however, are simple coins, oil lamps and clay pots, the everyday items of ancient life that, millennia later, have become treasured possessions of their new owners. But what exactly makes the purchase (and sale) of antiquities legal in Israel? This issue made headlines recently when American John Lund, a longtime tour guide to Israel and retired university lecturer, was arrested in Israel on charges of antiquities […]
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