The U.S. has returned a 2,700-year-old artifact to the Palestinian Authority for the first time, the Manhattan District Attorney's office announced last week.
The artifact, returned in an official ceremony attended by both U.S. and Palestinian officials in Bethlehem, is an ivory spoon used to carry incense.
The item was confiscated by U.S. authorities as part of a criminal investigation launched by the Manhattan Attorney's Office against billionaire Michael Steinhardt, one of the world’s biggest antique collectors.
In December 2021, in a bid to avoid prosecution, Steinhardt agreed to return antiques worth $70 billion he claims he had purchased on "false representation from sellers."
According to researchers, the ivory spoon was used to throw incense into a fire as part of a ritual to appease gods or the dead. The spoon was found in Al-Kum, an archeological site located near the city of Hebron in the West Bank.
In 2022, the U.S. returned looted antiques to 15 countries, worth a total of $115 million. Some 39 antiques were returned to Israel in the previous year, according to CNN.
The ceremony in Bethlehem was attended by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Palestinian Tourism Ministry.
“We’re proud to join our law enforcement and government partners in this historic moment,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at the ceremony. “I’m thankful for our talented team who continue to work to return these artifacts back where they belong.”