Monday, July 13, 2015

"Please, do not steal antiquities!"

SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE BAD LUCK: Ancient Roman Sling Stones Returned by Repentant Robber. 20 years after stealing 2,000-year-old sling stones, thief turns them in with note: 'they brought me nothing but trouble. Don't steal!' (Ari Yashar, Arutz Sheva).
In a surprising turn of events, an antiquities robber last week handed in two 2,000-year-old Roman sling stones that he had stolen 20 years ago, leaving them in the courtyard of the Museum of Islamic and Near Eastern Cultures in Be'er Sheva.

Amos Cohen, an employee of the museum, made the surprising discovery of the stones together with a typed note left by an anonymous individual in a bag in the courtyard.

"These are two Roman ballista balls from Gamla, from a residential quarter at the foot of the summit. I stole them in July 1995 and since then they have brought me nothing but trouble. Please, do not steal antiquities!," read the note from the repentant robber.

[...]
Well, the thief did the right thing and I hope his or her luck improves now.