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Baptismal relic latest focus of opposing narratives

The Israeli authorities have stolen an archaeological stone relic from the home of a Palestinian official in the West Bank, claiming it was Israel’s in the first place.
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In the pre-dawn hours of June 20, a huge Israeli flatbed truck arrived under the protection of the Israeli army at the home of Taysir Abu Mufreh, the director of the Tuqu municipality, a town in the Bethlehem district of the West Bank. Using the truck’s forklift, the Israelis removed an eight-ton 6th century stone relic that had been used by early Christians to conduct adult baptisms.

Palestinian photojournalist Oday Daibes posted a video on social media of the Israeli action, causing a great deal of criticism against the Israeli archaeological theft. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported June 20 on the archaeological relic, documenting the various stages it went through since 2000.

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