Israeli police opened an investigation of the theft last Thursday of a priceless gold tiara and a gold heart-shaped locket from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the old section of Jerusalem. The tiara was taken from the head of a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
The church, one of Christianity’s holiest shrines, has been guarded for decades by one Moslem guard under arrangements with Christian denominations using the church. Similar arrangements were established with Israel after occupation of the sector in the June war. Church leaders were considering today an Israeli offer to post a Christian, Moslem or Jewish policeman inside the church to prevent further thefts.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
