Israeli rescue team, called ZAKA, returned the ancient Jewish scrolls, which they had taken from Turkiye during the search and rescue efforts following the deadly earthquakes of February 6, the representatives for Turkey’s Jewish community have confirmed.
The centuries-old text, known as the Megila of Antakya, is a copy of the ancient Book of Esther which is now housed at the Chief Rabbinate in Istanbul, which serves as the headquarters of the country’s chief rabbi.
İlgili Ester parşömeni İsrael den teslim alınıp Hahambaşılığımızda muhafaza altındadır. Antakya sinagogumuzun tadili sonrası yuvasına dönecektir.
— Türk Yahudi Toplumu (@tyahuditoplumu) February 19, 2023
Saygılarımızla https://t.co/aatVXQwHg5
“Artifacts belonging to all kinds of beliefs and cultures that have existed within the borders of our country for centuries will continue to be carefully preserved in these lands,” the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a tweet.
The ministry added: “We will restore our Antakya Synagogue together with all our other damaged registered works so that the work will return to its place as soon as possible, and we will reopen it to worship of our Antakya citizens.”
The ministry further noted the Anti-Smuggling Department had started an investigation into this case which will reportedly be dealt with in coordination with the Turkish Foreign Ministry after which appropriate decisions will be made. The probe will primarily focus on the allegations that the religious manuscripts had been stolen or smuggled out of the country.
“All allegations regarding the evaluation of parchment within the scope of Law No. 2863 are meticulously investigated by the Anti-Smuggling Department of our Ministry and the process is handled in coordination with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Scroll retrieved from a synagogue in Antakya
According to Israel’s national daily newspaper, an elderly man approached Major Haim Otmazgin after the earthquake with an ancient religious text. The man claimed to have retrieved it from a synagogue in Antakya, Turkey that was severely damaged during the quake and requested Otmazgin to protect the Book of Esther, citing the city’s proximity to Syria and expressing concern that the book might end up in the wrong hands. Israeli media had claimed that the man asked it to be transported to a safe place after expressing concerns that the scrolls “will fall into the wrong hands.”
Israel claims it was keeping scrolls safe
The Israeli military official that took the scroll quoted the Jewish man as saying: “The last head of our community has now tragically passed and with our proximity to Syria, I’d hate to see the scrolls fall in the wrong hands. Please guard them and make sure our community is remembered,” he said.
Moved by the request, Otmazgin accepted the duty of keeping the artifacts safe. “In my capacity as a ZAKA volunteer of several decades, this is one of the most moving moments of my life,” he said. “I’m truly honored to save such a significant historical document and to make sure the heritage of Antakya’s Jewish community remains intact, even after the quake reduced it to nearly nothing,” he said.
Smuggling allegations
Social media users extensively criticized Israel for “stealing” and “smuggling” the manuscripts, following Turkiye’s announcement that they had been returned.
Devastating earthquakes rocked Turkiye and neighboring Syria on February 6 which killed more than 47,000 people and left millions in need of humanitarian aid.