The incident took place at Kherbet Umm A-Ros, an archaeological site located in the Judean Lowlands of central Israel. The site, home to remains of a Jewish community dating from the Second Temple period and the Bar-Kochba revolt.

“In these difficult times, while many of our employees serve in the reserves, the IAA remains committed to safeguarding our national heritage. These robbers sought to exploit the current instability in Israel to steal from our past. Protecting our antiquities is a national mission,” said Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido.

The looters, described as a squad of “antique pirates” from the Palestinian village of Zurif, were caught in the act of pillaging the underground system. The system includes ancient storage chambers, cisterns and a ritual purification bath called a mikvah, that was carved into the rock.