A 5-year-old boy accidentally destroyed an ancient jug at the Hecht Museum in Haifa last week. The jug, found in a Samaria dig, dates to the Late Bronze Age (between 1,500 and 1,150 B.C.E.) making its as much as 3,500 years old.
“It predates the days of [King] David and King Solomon, is typical of the Canaanite region and was intended for storing and transporting local consumption, mainly wine and olive oil,” said the Hecht Museum, located on the University of Haifa campus.
Ironically, what made the jug so special and unusual was that it was whole, “that it wasn’t found in pieces but as one complete unit, of impressive size,” museum head Inbal Rivlin told Ynet on Wednesday.
“It’s not to say there aren’t other jugs like this, but it’s indeed rare,” she added.
Due to its excellent condition, the museum chose to place it at the entrance, where it had stood without incident for 35 years, in keeping with the philosophy of the museum’s founder, Reuben Hecht, who established the museum 40 years ago and wanted items to be as accessible as possible.
“He said museums are not mausoleums, not burial sites, but dynamic, living institutions,” Rivlin explained. She noted that the museum is free and geared to families, though she quickly added that doesn’t mean every item should be touched.
The Hecht Museum is the third largest in size and importance in the field of archaeology in Israel, she added.
The jug will be repaired and returned to its place, Rivlin said, in a process that will be documented on video.
She invited the mother and her son, who quickly left after the jar was broken, to come for a guided tour of the museum.
“At that moment, the mother and the child were so scared. She grabbed the boy and they quickly left,” Rivlin said. “I would like to address them: don’t be afraid, we have no claim against you.”
