Kid who accidentally broke rare 3,500-year-old jar in Israeli museum is forgiven. Here's what happened

A four-year-old boy who accidentally broke a rare3,500-year-old jar at theHecht Museum in Israel's Haifahas been forgiven and even invited back. A report by the news agency Associated Press on Friday (Aug 30) that the incident at the museum occurred on August 23.

Speaking to the Associated Press, the boy's fatherAlex Geller said that his son is exceptionally curious. Geller said that the moment he heard the crash,“Please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.

“He’s not a kid that usually destroys things, he just wanted to see what was inside,” Geller added.

A look at the 'Bronze Age' jar

Inbar Rivlin, director of the Hecht Museum, said that the "Bronze Age" jar isone of many artefacts exhibited out in the open, which is part of the museum's vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers.

Rivlin said that the jar was placed at the entrance of the museum and that the Geller family quickly left without finishing their visit.She wants to use the restoration as an educational opportunity and make sure they feel welcome to return.

The jar has been on display at the museum for the last 35 years, and it is one of the only containers of its size and periodthat was still complete when it was discovered. As per the report, the jar was likely used to hold wine or oil, and it dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.

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Using 3D technology and high-resolution videos of the jar, experts plan to complete the restoration in a matter of days. It could be back on display as early as next week.

Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar.

Kid becomes a local celebrity

The Geller family belong to the Israeli town of Nahariya, just a few kilometres away south of the border with Lebanon, in an area that has come under Hezbollah fire for more than 10 months in a conflict linked to the Gaza war.

Geller told the news agency that he and his familywere spending the summer break visiting museums and taking day trips around Israel to escape the tensions.

Geller said that there were a lot of kids at the museum that day, and he prayed the damage (caused to the Bronze Age jar)had been caused by someone else.

However, when he turned around and saw that it was his son, he was in complete shock.

“We said, if we need to pay we will, whatever will be will be. But they called and said it was insured and after they checked the cameras and saw it wasn’t vandalism they invited us back for a make-up visit,” the man added.

Geller also said that his son didn't quite understandthe international interest in the broken jar, but their community in Nahariya was following the news with interest and was proud of their local celebrity.

(With inputs from agencies)