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ISTANBUL
Four artifact smugglers were detained in Istanbul for smuggling a 1,100-year-old Bible written in Hebrew.
After receiving a tip-off that the suspects were looking to find buyers for historical artifacts, the provincial gendarmerie command teams carried out an operation and seized 101 coins belonging to the Roman and Byzantine eras, along with a 1,100-year-old Bible written in Hebrew.
It was stated that the 28-page Bible written in Hebrew on leather and papyrus paper, had a value of $500,000.
The coins were handed over to the Istanbul Archaeology Museums Directorate, while the Bible with religious motifs was sent to the Istanbul Manuscripts Presidency for examination.
The suspects were referred to the judiciary.
