Antiquities

Heritage Minister taps INEXTG CEO Esther Shreiber for next IAA director, first woman in role

Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government. 

INEXTG CEO Esti Shrieber, tapped to be the next director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
The Hebrew manuscript inscribed in gold on python skin, displayed alongside its copper casing, at the Gaziantep Provincial Gendarmerie Command, April 24, 2026.

Turkish authorities reportedly seize gold Hebrew manuscript inscribed on python skin

Stele depicting Roman Emperor Tiberius standing before the Theban triad of the ancient Egyptian gods found near the Karnak Temple Complex, March 30, 2026.

Stone stele depicting Roman emperor, Egyptian gods found near Karnak temple site in Luxor

Palestinian children play in a Roman-era fountain in Battir, a village in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem.

Palestinian Authority accelerates heritage campaign as West Bank tensions rise


Israel Police look for weapons, find trove of unregistered antiquities in North

"It deserves to be in the right hands, presented to the whole public, and not be the private property of one criminal or another," Inspector Nidal Abdelhalim said.

 Antiquities recovered from a weapons search on a suspect in Israel's North, March 28, 2024.

Time Machines: Driving the Citroën Traction Avant and Its Legacy

Amid a worldwide economic downturn, André Citroën gambled his company's future on creating the first widely successful front-wheel drive car. Decades later, we experienced its revolutionary drive.


Reservists find perfectly preserved, 1,500-year-old oil lamp

Reservists discover a perfectly-preserved, 1,500-year-old pottery oil candle in IDF staging area.

 "It was covered in mud, I cleaned it and called the Antiquities Authority," soldiers said of their  

Greek antiquities valued at $3.7 million recovered from New York smugglers

Several of the most notable pieces are thousands of years old.

 A man admires a marble statue of Aphrodite, known as the Velvedere Venus, on display at the Praxiteles exhibition in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens July 26, 2007.

Israel's museums enact war protocol to protect most precious treasures

"You really have to choose the finest or the most fragile artifacts," a museum worker said.

 The Hall of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum, on May 2, 2018

Israeli arrested in Antalya, Turkey on suspicion of stealing ancient bell

The Israeli, who was on his way back to Israel, vehemently denied such and claimed that he purchased the bell in good faith.

 Tourists, coming mainly from Russia, leave from the arrival terminal at Antalya International Airport in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey September 22, 2022

Trump holding Israel antiquities among items at Mar-a-Lago

A large amount of other sensitive material was found at Mar-a-Lago, including government documents that Trump was allegedly not cleared to take with him when he left office.

 Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower the day after FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home, in New York City, US, August 9, 2022.

US man charged for attempted antiquity smuggling from Syria

The 2,000-year-old mosaic fragment came from Syria, and he had reportedly claimed to be importing items into the US worth just over $2,000.

 A mosaic panel is pictured in Al-Rastan city, Syria October 12, 2022.

Israeli returns 1,700-year-old anchor to Antiquities Authority after 26 years

This anchor, a rare find in the country, was recovered by a citizen named Moshe during a diving expedition off Palmahim Beach in 1996.

 IAA Archaeologist with the returned anchor

Israeli woman finds ancient figurine of Egyptian goddess on the beach

Amid stormy weather, a resident of Lod saw the figurine floating toward her on the waves.

 An ancient figurine of the goddess Hathor found along Palmahim Beach.