20 MAY: An American man faces the possibility of a lengthy jail term in Israel after allegedly selling valuable archeological artifacts to tourists.
The retired university lecturer is said to have sold the relics to 20 tourists he was leading on a tour of Israel, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported yesterday.
He was detained at Ben-Gurion airport on Monday local time as he tried to board a flight to the US.
After admitting the offences and posting a hefty bond to ensure he returns for trial, he was allowed to leave the country, the Post reports.
Items which tour group members had purchased from the guide included bronze and silver coins dating to the Second Temple period, clay oil lamps from the Roman and Byzantine eras, and ancient glass and ceramic containers.
The sale of antiquities without a permit and the export of antiquities without permission are criminal offences in Israel, punishable by up to three years in jail.
The report doesn’t say whether the tourists were aware of the illegal nature of their purchases.
