ISTANBUL, June 13: The Turkish gendarmerie forces have seized an ancient copy of the Hebrew Bible during an operation to stop the illicit trade of historical artifacts.
The copy is believed to be 1,100-year-old, according to a statement by the the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command on Monday. The forces carried out raids on three sites upon a tip-off that four suspects were seeking a buyer for the holy book priced at 500,000 U.S. dollars.
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The Hebrew Bible was delivered to the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye for further examination, said the statement.
During the raids, the forces also confiscated 101 ancient coins dating back to the Roman and Byzantine periods, which were later sent to the Istanbul Archeology Museums, it added. The four suspects were detained and referred to an Istanbul court.
(Xinhua)
