Israel returns ancient artifacts to Egyptian Museum

Israeli authorities returned two Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus lids to the Egyptian Museum this week.

This is the second recovery of Egyptian artifacts from Israel in recent years, the first being in the 1990s, when relics were returned that had been excavated in Sinai by Israeli archaeologists between 1967 and 1989, according to a statement issued by Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities.

The Israeli Antiquities Authority and Interpol officers noticed the lids on display at an auction hall in Jerusalem in 2012 and reported the incident to Egyptian authorities, according to the ministry’s statement, which added that both lids were unearthed in illegal excavation works, smuggled out of Egypt, and unlawfully transported to Dubai and then Jerusalem by an Israeli antiquities trader.

The two artifacts were returned to Egypt on June 16 and were transported to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Tuesday, where they are to be restored.

The assistant to the minister of foreign affairs, Eman al-Far, expressed “Egypt's appreciation for Israel's return of these two pieces, and looks forward to the delivery of the rest of Egypt's artifacts."

Reported to be approximately 3,000 years old, the two colorful sarcophagus lids are carved from wood and covered in hieroglyphic inscriptions.

One of them is reported to date back to 1,600-1,300 BC (around the time of the New Kingdom), while the other is said to date back to 900-700 BC (around the time of the Third Intermediate Period).

Citing Dore Gold, Israel’s director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CNN reported Israel hoped the return of the artifacts would lead to greater bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Following Egypt’s popular uprising of 2011, diplomatic ties between Cairo and Tel Aviv were strained in light of several protest rallies staged at the Israeli embassy. However, Since Sisi’s assumption of the presidency in 2014, Egyptian-Israeli relations have improved.