Antiquity Thieves Return Ancient Items to Israel

In a rare change of pace, officials of the Israel Parks and Nature Authority were pleasantly surprised when they received a package from a Florida couple, containing pieces of ancient mosaic the couple said they took from Caesarea National Park.

The return of the pieces was in sharp contrast to the more common situations where enforcement agents of the Parks Authority, along with the Antiquities Authority, are forced to pursue thieves who steal coins, mosaic pieces, jugs, and larger items from archaeological sites and national parks around the country.

The mosaic pieces were delivered to the offices of the Authority at the park, sent via regular mail. The package contained nine small envelopes, each containing a mosaic piece, with packaging material to protect it. Enclosed with the envelopes was a map of the Caesarea Park, distributed to visitors at the site.