A four-year-old boy accidentally knocked&nbsp;down a 3,500-year-old jar kept in a museum in Israel. The jar dates back to the Bronze Age between 2,200 and 1,500 BC and has been displayed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for the last 35 years.

According to BBC, the antique piece was a rare artefact because it was discovered intact, unlike other items which are often broken when found. The jar was kept near the entrance without glass as the museum believes displaying archaeological finds in an accessible way has a "special charm".

Alex, the boy's father said that his son was "curious about what was inside" the artefact and "pulled the jar slightly", knocking it over. Alex was "in shock" to see his son next to the shattered jar. His first thought was "It wasn't my child that did it".

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He talked with the security person after calming down his son, Alex told the BBC.

According to a Sky News report, the child was not punished and the museum Director Dr. Inbal Rivlin told Alex "Don't be afraid, we have no claim against you."

"There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police," Lihi Laszlo from the museum told the BBC.

"In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly."

The Hecht Museum has invited the family back for an organised exhibition tour a few days after the incident.

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A specialist has been appointed by the museum to restore the jar. While Alex said they were "relieved" but "sorry" as "it will no longer be the same item".

Despite this unusual incident, the museum has said they will continue to display the items "without barriers or glass walls" to keep up their tradition.

According to the museum, the jar was most likely used for carrying supplies like olive oil and wine and predates the period of the Biblical King David and King Solomon. It is a distinctive discovery from the Canaan region on the eastern Mediterranean coast and "an impressive find" as it was unearthed in an intact state.&nbsp;

The Hecht Museum collects archaeological and art items and is located on the campus of the University of Haifa in northern Israel.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A four-year-old boy accidentally knocked down a 3,500-year-old jar kept in a museum in Israel. The jar dates back to the Bronze Age between 2,200 and 1,500 BC and has been displayed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for the last 35 years.

A four-year-old boy accidentally knocked down a 3,500-year-old jar kept in a museum in Israel. The jar dates back to the Bronze Age between 2,200 and 1,500 BC and has been displayed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for the last 35 years. According to BBC, the antique piece was a rare artefact because it was discovered intact, unlike other items which are often broken when found. The jar was kept near the entrance without glass as the museum believes displaying archaeological finds in an accessible way has a "special charm". Alex, the boy's father said that his son was "curious about what was inside" the artefact and "pulled the jar slightly", knocking it over. Alex was "in shock" to see his son next to the shattered jar. His first thought was "It wasn't my child that did it". Also read | Tourists go for real-life 'Temple Run' in Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, experts express concern He talked with the security person after calming down his son, Alex told the BBC. According to a Sky News report, the child was not punished and the museum Director Dr. Inbal Rivlin told Alex "Don't be afraid, we have no claim against you." "There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police," Lihi Laszlo from the museum told the BBC. "In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly." The Hecht Museum has invited the family back for an organised exhibition tour a few days after the incident. Also read | Some smart toys may be spying on your kids' behaviour patterns in breach of privacy A specialist has been appointed by the museum to restore the jar. While Alex said they were "relieved" but "sorry" as "it will no longer be the same item". Despite this unusual incident, the museum has said they will continue to display the items "without barriers or glass walls" to keep up their tradition. According to the museum, the jar was most likely used for carrying supplies like olive oil and wine and predates the period of the Biblical King David and King Solomon. It is a distinctive discovery from the Canaan region on the eastern Mediterranean coast and "an impressive find" as it was unearthed in an intact state. The Hecht Museum collects archaeological and art items and is located on the campus of the University of Haifa in northern Israel. (With inputs from agencies)

Four-year-old boy accidentally shatters rare Bronze Age jar during museum visit

A tourist, who had travelled from the United States, was arrested by police for allegedly smashing statues inside the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The statues seemed to have offended the man’s religious sensibilities.<o:p></o:p>

As per the police statement, on Thursday evening the officers were called to the site after the visitor intentionally smashed and extensively damaged various sculptures in the museum.<o:p></o:p>

The authorities released the photos in which two sculptures, which were knocked off of pedestals by the visitor, were seen broken into several pieces in the archaeology wing of the museum.

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The broken pieces were the head of Athena from the 2nd century CE discovered in 1978 in Tel Naharon near Beit She’an, and a statue of a griffin, which held the wheel of fate and represented the Roman god, Nemesis. The statue of a griffin was discovered in the northern Negev in 1957 and dated to 210-211 CE.<o:p></o:p>

The Israel Museum stated that only two destroyed artefacts were “ancient Roman statues dating to the 2nd century CE” were featured in the archaeology wing.<o:p></o:p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">Man believed sculpture was “against the Torah”<o:p></o:p></h2>

Police stated that the 40-year-old man was detained by a museum security guard before police reached the place and arrested him.<o:p></o:p>

The museum also gave the police a photo of the stick they claimed was being carried around the museum by the wandering and may have been used to vandalise the sculptures.<o:p></o:p>

The police questioned the suspect and they plan to request the judge to deny bail to the man.

WATCH |&nbsp;UK museum to loan Shivaji Maharaj's tiger claw weapon to India

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The initial assessment of the police officers is that the statues were destroyed by the man because he believed they were “against the Torah,” as per the police statement.<o:p></o:p>

The damaged sculptures were sent to the conservation lab of the museum for professional restoration, it stated. The museum called the incident as “severe” and “worrying”, stating that it will not impact its opening hours and operations.<o:p></o:p>

The museum did not clarify if the statues on display were copies or original artefacts. Sukkot is a popular time when tourists visit Israel in huge numbers, with many travelling from North America in particular.

<o:p></o:p>

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A tourist, who had travelled from the United States, was arrested by police for allegedly smashing statues inside the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The statues seemed to have offended the man’s religious sensibilities.

A tourist, who had travelled from the United States, was arrested by police for allegedly smashing statues inside the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The statues seemed to have offended the man’s religious sensibilities. As per the police statement, on Thursday evening the officers were called to the site after the visitor intentionally smashed and extensively damaged various sculptures in the museum. The authorities released the photos in which two sculptures, which were knocked off of pedestals by the visitor, were seen broken into several pieces in the archaeology wing of the museum. ALSO READ | Treasure hunt: British Museum launches hotline, asks people to help find missing artefacts The broken pieces were the head of Athena from the 2nd century CE discovered in 1978 in Tel Naharon near Beit She’an, and a statue of a griffin, which held the wheel of fate and represented the Roman god, Nemesis. The statue of a griffin was discovered in the northern Negev in 1957 and dated to 210-211 CE. The Israel Museum stated that only two destroyed artefacts were “ancient Roman statues dating to the 2nd century CE” were featured in the archaeology wing. Man believed sculpture was “against the Torah” Police stated that the 40-year-old man was detained by a museum security guard before police reached the place and arrested him. The museum also gave the police a photo of the stick they claimed was being carried around the museum by the wandering and may have been used to vandalise the sculptures. The police questioned the suspect and they plan to request the judge to deny bail to the man. WATCH | UK museum to loan Shivaji Maharaj's tiger claw weapon to India The initial assessment of the police officers is that the statues were destroyed by the man because he believed they were “against the Torah,” as per the police statement. The damaged sculptures were sent to the conservation lab of the museum for professional restoration, it stated. The museum called the incident as “severe” and “worrying”, stating that it will not impact its opening hours and operations. The museum did not clarify if the statues on display were copies or original artefacts. Sukkot is a popular time when tourists visit Israel in huge numbers, with many travelling from North America in particular. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

US tourist smashes Roman-era statues at Israel Museum, arrested

A unique medieval scroll is going on display for the first time in Jerusalem at the Israel Museum. The scroll, about 11 meters (36 feet) long, is a one-of-a-kind illustrated travelogue depicting the pilgrimage of an Egyptian-Jew during the 14th century to the Land of Israel

Unique medieval scroll in Hebrew on public display

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Four-year-old boy accidentally shatters rare Bronze Age jar during museum visit

US tourist smashes Roman-era statues at Israel Museum, arrested

Unique medieval scroll in Hebrew on public display