Aroutine security check turned into a veritable treasure hunt, when the Antiquities Authority discovered a Beit Shemesh man had in his possessionhundreds of ancient coins and artifacts, the organization announced Wednesday.

According to the authority's Robbery Prevention Unit, the unidentified man, who is in his 50s, was initially detained last Wednesday at anantiquities site in the Beit Shemesh area, when police determined he was carrying digging tools in his bag.

The man denied he was searching for antiquities and claimed to know nothing about ancient coins. However, a subsequent search of his home laterthat evening uncovered roughly 800 bronze coins, ancient bronze objects, jewelry and metal cleaning equipment, the authority said.

"Among the coins found in the suspect's home and identified by Antiquities Authority researchers were Persian coins from the 5th century BCE, andthe Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods," the Robbery Prevention Unit said in a statement.

"The coins were seized and taken for evidence," it continued.

Upon further questioning, the suspect confessed he was searching for the ancient coins using a metal detector, the authority said.

Dr. Ethan Klein, deputy director of the Robbery Prevention Unit, said searching for coins at ancient sites is a serious criminal offense.

"Ancient coins provide archeologists with important information from history," Klein said. "The most comprehensive information is embedded inthem, including the date, name of the ruler at the time, and place of production."

"Displacing ancient coins causes irreparable harm and does not allow the recovery of information, and actually erases an entire chapter of thehistory of the ancient site," he said.

According to the Robbery Prevention Unit, damage to an archeological site is punishable by up to five years in prison.

To read the complete article, see:
Israel recovers 800 ancientcoins, jewelry stolen by Beit Shemesh man(www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-recovers-800-ancient-coins-jewelry-stolen-by-Beit-Shemesh-man-386238)