Trying to visualize the inner dimensions of the box, Razak couldn’t compute how a body could fit in such a cramped vessel. “But I still don’t see—”
Barton held up a hand. “Please,” he gently cut in. “They believed that the body needed to expiate sin, shed it through the process of decaying flesh. So the family would allow the corpse to putrefy for a year, after which, they would come back to place the bones in a sacred stone box—a miniature coffin called an ossuary.”
Razak stared at him. Islamic burial practice—interment within twenty-four hours in a modest tomb facing Mecca, preferably without a casket—was in stark contrast to elaborate ancient Jewish rituals. “I see.” Razak fingered his chin.
“This type of burial was common in this region,” Barton continued, “but only practiced during a very brief period—roughly 200 BCE to 70 CE. That helps us to date ossuaries pretty accurately, even without fancy tests. As you can see,” Barton pointed to the row, “the boxes are just large enough to accommodate a dismembered skeleton.”
“Why did they save the bones?” Razak thought he knew the answer, but wanted to be sure.
“The ancient Jews believed strongly in their eventual resurrection, ushered in by the coming of the true Messiah.”
Razak nodded. The bodies of Muslims also waited in the grave for a Day of Judgment, reminding him how Judaism and Islam shared many common roots.
“The same Messiah,” Barton added, “whom the Jews believe will rebuild the third and final temple up there,” he pointed above his head toward the Temple Mount esplanade.
“That will never happen,” Razak defiantly stated.
That’s precisely what Barton would have expected the Muslim to say. “Yes, well, anyway, this was considered preparation for that day. Without the bones, there would have been no chance for resurrection.”
“Are ossuaries valuable?”
“Depends. The stone would need to be in pristine condition.” Barton surveyed the nine remaining relics. “And these look to be in excellent shape—no obvious fractures, plus they all have their lids. Etchings can be important too. Often an engraver would mark the surface with the corpse’s identity. Sometimes they’d have decorative patterns and scenes. If the engravings are impeccable, it pushes the price up.” Barton had seen hundreds of similar boxes that had been recovered throughout the region, many more impressive than these. “These ossuaries look fairly standard.”
“Then what would one of them be worth?”
Barton pursed his lips. “Depends. Maybe six thousand pounds, or perhaps ten thousand dollars, assuming it could be sold in the antiquities market. Big problem is that the relic probably wouldn’t be particularly unusual. To fetch a high price, it would need to be in perfect condition and purchased by an avid collector or museum. But these days museums tend not to like pieces obtained through the antiquities markets.”
Razak was starting to get used to the archaeologist’s English accent. “Why not?”
“Well, desirable artifacts would be those with a high degree of provenance. A serious buyer needs adequate proof that a relic had been excavated from a specific site, validating its authenticity. The earth and commingled artifacts around an archaeological dig provide lots of clues to an artifact’s age. Remove the relic from the earth, and . . .” He shrugged his shoulders.
Razak squatted down. This was all a lot to absorb. “So what you’re really saying is...since its value can depend on substantiating its origin, this stolen ossuary might not be worth much at all on the open market?”
Barton nodded. “Absolutely. Value also relies heavily on the credibility of the seller. If its provenance is suspect, the ossuary’s value would be severely reduced, which means we can rule out the possibility of a museum or well-known collector as the thief.” Barton eyed the squatting Muslim, considering whether or not he should reciprocate by sitting. Would he expect that? Unsure, he decided to remain standing. “The potential consequences are too severe. I might also point out that many relics that have come out of Israel in the past two decades have been proven fakes, only after European museums paid exorbitantly for them.”
Razak looked up at him. “So putting the ossuary on display in a gallery would be a waste of time for them?”
Barton nodded.
The Israeli death toll just didn’t tally with the relic’s questionable market value. “Why would someone go to so much trouble—with such violence—to steal just one?” he countered. “Why not steal them all?”
“Good point,” Barton concurred. “That’s what you and I will need to determine. I’ll need to analyze the etchings on these. I will also need to study this crypt for clues as to whose family was buried here. My guess is the thieves knew precisely which ossuary they wanted and were unconcerned about establishing provenance. That rules out serious archaeologists, who are not known to blast holes through walls.”
Razak allowed himself a smile. “What does one of those things weigh?”
“Probably about twenty-two kilos, plus the bones...around thirtyfive in total.”
“And how would one go about shipping it?”
“A standard crate, I’d guess. You’d need to wrap it in a fair amount of packing material. If it left one of Israel’s ports, the contents would have to clear Customs. And I’ve been told that since Friday, all cargo awaiting shipment is being inspected piece by piece. It would never get through.”
“Most likely the IDF secured all roads immediately following the crime,” Razak added. “That would rule out the ossuary being driven from Israel.”
Quizzically, Barton eyed the Muslim. “Yes, but aren’t the police saying a helicopter was used during the theft?”
Razak nodded. “That’s what eyewitnesses have been saying.”
“I don’t mean to state the obvious, but don’t you think they probably flew it directly over the border somewhere?”
