Israeli police found 1,500-year-old magic pots and other ancient artifacts in the home of a Jerusalem resident.

The Jerusalem Post reports that the police found “oath pots” that were used as talismans – with magical inscriptions and Hebrew words, supposed to protect their owners from curses, demons, diseases and pests. These magical pots were usually buried in the house grounds.

“This text was written by artists for a specific client, taking into account his personal needs,” says Amir Jabour, head of the anti-theft department at the Antiquities Department.

It is reported that the magical pots came from settlements in Mesopotamia (currently Iraq), where after the 2003 war these artifacts began appearing in international markets.

It appears that the suspect in the theft of these artifacts has repaired and restored them for sale later. Because the police found in his house various tools and equipment used in restoring ceramics and cleaning old metals and coins.

In addition to this, the police also confiscated hundreds of coins, ivory bone furniture in the Phoenician style, and Egyptian decorations, as it is not excluded that these were stolen from a biblical cemetery in Samaria or northern Israel.

According to Eli Escucido, director of the Israel Antiquities Department, illegal dealers are encouraging thieves to search for and destroy archaeological sites in order to obtain artifacts to sell.
He says, “Because of their greed they steal ancient monuments and separate them from their historical context, and in doing so they hide part of human history.”