Latest news with #AntiquitiesAuthority
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ultra-Orthodox protesters launch feces, vandalize home of real estate CEO
Individuals rioted outside the homes of the CEO and VP of Aura real estate in protest of a new project in Yehud, which they claim would take place on top of graves. About one hundred extreme ultra-Orthodox individuals demonstrated violently outside the home of Yaakov Ataracchi, CEO and owner of Aura, one of Israel's largest real estate companies, on Thursday night. The rioters organized transportation from Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem, aiming to force Ataracchi and his company to end their work on a demolition-rebuilding project in Yehud, which they have claimed is taking place on top of graves. According to the company, this is a legal and approved project carried out with the guidance of the Antiquities Authority. The rioters broke the gate to the house, smashed the intercom, caused damage to the yard and property, vandalized equipment, and threw bags of excrement at the house and the family members. The police, who were aware of the threat in advance and even updated the family, did not arrest any protesters. According to sources close to the family, the police called Ataracchi's wife, informed her of the demonstration, and asked if the family had private security, as they would not be able to assist with their forces. After the event in Tel Aviv, the rioters proceeded to the home of Hod Betzer, the company's VP, in Elkana, where they repeated the same pattern of breaking, vandalizing, and threatening. The company has warned of a severe escalation: just last week, the graves of the CEO's parents were vandalized, and now the extremists have moved to direct violence against private homes. According to the company, these are extremist fringe groups, some of which are known, taking advantage of their police protection while spreading disinformation about non-existent graves in an attempt to intimidate and extort developers. According to the executives, the project in Yehud involves the demolition of ten old buildings and the construction of 444 new residential units, commercial spaces, and public buildings, and it is being carried out in accordance with all regulations, with no findings of Jewish graves. "Aura will not yield to threats. This is not a protest – it is an organized attack. If we didn't have security guards, this would have ended in a disaster. I call on the police to act with full severity," Ataracchi responded.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RFR Sells The Jaffa, Achieving Record Pricing in Israel
The Jaffa. Aby Rosen's Signature Luxury Hotel Sold for $1 Million Per Key NEW YORK, May 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RFR announced the sale of The Jaffa, the 120-room luxury hotel destination located in its namesake neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the Jaffa waterfront district. Located on a historic site that includes elements dating back 700 years, The Jaffa is a signature achievement that RFR's Aby Rosen envisioned and developed with a professional team including architect John Pawson and preservation architect Ramy Gill. The sale price was $123 million, approximately $1 million per key, representing a record price for a hotel in Israel. The Jaffa has been credited with contributing to the transformation of the Jaffa neighborhood into a sought-after tourist locale, and is recognized for offering unsurpassed luxury amenities. "The Jaffa has been a uniquely personal experience and accomplishment for me as the developer," Mr. Rosen said. "Through a lengthy, complex design and development process that brought together an outstanding professional team, we created a property that responds perfectly to its surroundings, respecting the long and fascinating history of Jaffa while providing visitors and residence owners with a unique luxury lifestyle experience." RFR, led by Mr. Rosen, acquired The Jaffa site in 2006 and collaborated with Pawson – the British legend known for minimalist design – and Gill – a prolific Israeli architect experienced in the preservation and adaption of ancient sites – to create a thoroughly modern hospitality destination. At The Jaffa, the minimalist concepts of Pawson served to blend the beauty of new classic architecture with the preserved historic elements existing on the site. The original building was completed in 1879 by the French businessman François Guinet as a hostel for religious pilgrims on route to Jerusalem, featuring Roman Renaissance aesthetics and imported French glass and iron work. Excavations by the Antiquities Authority in anticipation of a new hotel also revealed a remnant of the Jaffa city wall from the Crusader era, approximately 700 years ago. Now incorporated into The Jaffa, the section of the round wall with light stones appears to rise up into the warmth of the elegant lobby and snakes into the hotel's courtyard. Opposite the U-shaped 1879 Guinet building, the development team designed and constructed a new, elongated building that complements the historic structure. The two buildings collectively encompass 120 rooms and 33 private residences. Within The Jaffa are several dining and nightlife destinations, including Giardino, Golda's Deli, The Pool bar, and The Chapel bar, lounge, and event space. The spa features six treatment rooms and dry and wet saunas.
The Independent
03-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Stone found by three-year-old during stroll turns out to be 3,800-year-old scarab amulet
Ziv Nitzan, 3, found the stone during a stroll along a dirt path that had gravel spread on it, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement. 'Out of the 7,000 stones around her, she picked up one stone. Then she brushed off the sand and saw that something was different about it," Omer Nitzan, Ziv's older sister, said in a translated video. 'When she rubbed it and removed sand from it, we saw that something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone and we realised we'd discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.' The Antiquities Authority determined the stone to be a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age. Canaanites were an ancient people that lived throughout the Levant, with strong ties to Egypt. In the Middle Bronze Age, researchers said, the Canaanites used scarabs designed to look like dung beetles as seals and amulets. Such artefacts, some bearing symbols and messages, have been widely found in the region's ancient graves as well as public and private buildings, they added. The practice of using symbols of the revered beetles originated in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians associated dung beetles rolling balls of dung with their Sun god rolling the 'Sun disk' across the celestial sphere. In fact, even the insect's name in Egyptian derives from the verb 'to be created', as ancient Egyptians viewed the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of god. Archaeologists have been conducting excavations at Tel Azekah for over 15 years, finding numerous artefacts that shed light on life in the region thousands of years ago. The finds include ancient city walls and agricultural structures from the Judahite Kingdom. 'Excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean lowlands,' said Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Aviv University archaeological dig. 'The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
3-year-old discovers 3,800-year-old treasure during a family outing in Israel
She could have picked up any old stone from the thousands in the ruins of Tel Azeka, an ancient town in Israel. Instead, 3-year-old Ziv Nitzan pulled out a 3,800-year-old treasure from the Middle Bronze age. 'When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it,' Ziv's sister Omer said in a Facebook post released Tuesday by Israel's Antiquities Authority. 'I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find.' Experts later identified it as a Canaanite seal or scarab. 'Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages, that reflect religious beliefs or status,' Daphna Ben-Tor, an Egyptologist, said in the Facebook post. Originating in ancient Egypt, scarabs were commonly used as seals and as amulets and were designed in the shape of a dung beetles. 'This beetle, considered sacred in the eyes of the ancient Egyptians, was a symbol of new life, because of the dung ball it created and then laid its eggs into it, from which new life would hatch,' the Facebook post said. Often they carried messages, reflecting religious beliefs. Nitzan's find is one of a number of artifacts found across Israel indicating ancient Egyptian presence in the country. She picked it up at the base of a key archaeological site in central Israel. Situated 25 miles west of Jerusalem, the village of Tel Azekah is referenced in the Bible as the site of the infamous battle between David and Goliath. Omer said that after her sister found the scarab on a family outing last month, they immediately called their parents who 'realized we had discovered an archaeological find.' The family then reported it to Israel's Antiquities Authority. The discovery 'connects us to a grand story, that of the ancient civilizations that lived in this land thousands of years ago,' Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu was quoted as saying in the Facebook post. 'The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history,' Eliyahu said. Eli Escusido, director of the antiquities authority, also praised the family for its discovery and said the seal will be displayed in a special exhibition, which will also include other Egyptian finds across the country. This article was originally published on
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Stone picked up by three-year-old during stroll turns out to be 3,800-year-old scarab amulet
Archaeologists have confirmed that a 'beautiful stone' picked up by a child in Israel 's Tel Azekah area is actually a Bronze Age scarab amulet made over 3,800 years ago. Ziv Nitzan, 3, found the stone during a stroll along a dirt path that had gravel spread on it, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement. 'Out of the 7,000 stones around her, she picked up one stone. Then she brushed off the sand and saw that something was different about it," Omer Nitzan, Ziv's older sister, said in a translated video. 'When she rubbed it and removed sand from it, we saw that something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone and we realised we'd discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.' The Antiquities Authority determined the stone to be a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age. Canaanites were an ancient people that lived throughout the Levant, with strong ties to Egypt. In the Middle Bronze Age, researchers said, the Canaanites used scarabs designed to look like dung beetles as seals and amulets. Such artefacts, some bearing symbols and messages, have been widely found in the region's ancient graves as well as public and private buildings, they added. The practice of using symbols of the revered beetles originated in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians associated dung beetles rolling balls of dung with their Sun god rolling the 'Sun disk' across the celestial sphere. In fact, even the insect's name in Egyptian derives from the verb 'to be created', as ancient Egyptians viewed the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of god. Archaeologists have been conducting excavations at Tel Azekah for over 15 years, finding numerous artefacts that shed light on life in the region thousands of years ago. The finds include ancient city walls and agricultural structures from the Judahite Kingdom. 'Excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean lowlands,' said Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Aviv University archaeological dig. 'The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period.'
