The Blogs: Is Sebaste/Samaria a New Site of Heritage Warfare?

A report by Shimon Samuels and Alex Uberti

Over the past decades, we have participated in UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) sessions – from St. Petersburg to Manama, Cracow, Doha, Bonn, Phnom Penh, Riyadh, Mumbai and Paris – defending the integrity and protection of sites of outstanding universal value from a historical and cultural point of view. Our scope is to ensure the transmission to future generations of responsibilities and principles set by the World Heritage Convention. This year’s 48th WHC session will be held in Busan, South Korea, at the end of July.

Since the Palestinian Authority entered the WHC, it has de facto transformed Jewish and Christian heritage sites into battlefields, with the apparent goal of grabbing historical locations and symbols and erase their identity. The cases of ancient Jericho, of the Church of the Nativity, of Rachel’s Tomb or of the Qumran Caves and the Dead Sea Scrolls are but some of the past claims, part of which were safeguarded from defilement.

Here are several other sites on the PA wish-list: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-2026-heritage-grabbing-frenzy/

THE ADMINISTRATIVE SITUATION

This year’s object of contention is apparently the archaeological site of Sebaste/Samaria, which sits about 12 km north-west of the Palestinian city of Nablus and some 20 km from the “Green Line” in what is called “the West Bank” by most, or ancient “Judaea-Samaria” by historians and a growing number of people.

As per the Oslo Accords signed between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) regarding the interim situation of the West Bank:

The city of Nablus is in so-called «Area A» – thus under exclusive civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority;
The village of Sebastia, inhabited by Palestinian Arabs, is in «Area B» – thus under PA civil administration and Israeli security control;
The archaeological site of Sebaste/Samaria is in «Area C» – thus under exclusive Israeli civil and security control.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

The ancient city of Samaria («Shomron» in Hebrew), was founded as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel by King Omri in the 9th century BCE, and served as the political, administrative, and religious center of that northern Israelite kingdom for nearly two centuries.

The site preserves archaeological remains spanning Israelite, Assyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and later periods, illustrating the succession of civilizations that shaped the region.

Its unique archaeological record makes Sebaste/Samaria one of the principal sites connected to the biblical kingdoms, representing a tangible link to the origins of Hebrew civilization in the Land of Israel, and forming part of the historical and cultural heritage that underpins Jewish identity and memory.

The preservation and study of the site contribute to understanding the historical continuity of Jewish life in the region while also highlighting the area’s rich multicultural past. As such, Sebaste/Samaria holds comprehensive cultural and educational importance, thus prompting Israel’s Antiquities Authority to:

Resume archaeological excavations after a long hiatus;
Earmark tens of millions of shekels in conservation and restoration of the site;
Stabilize exposed architectural remains, while improving protection against looting and vandalism;
Plan long-term scientific management and public access through a national park.

THE POLITICAL CHALLENGE

In its formal application on the UNESCO WHC tentative list, the Palestinian Authority barely mentions “the northern kingdom” omitting “of Israel”, but never mentions the words “Israelite”, “Jewish”, “Israel” or “Judaism”, with the exception of lamenting “the site is not developed… under Israeli control”, and adds “nevertheless, the site attracts many tourists”.

See: https://whc.unesco.org/fr/listesindicatives/5718/

This is indeed revealing language: on the one hand, the PA deletes any Jewish historical relevance of the site, on the other, it ignores Israel’s actions mentioned above, and appears to be a commercial pitch to open the archaeological site and allow the PA and neighbouring villages to profit from potential tourism revenue, rather than caring about its preservation and restoration.

In our view, the site’s significance extends beyond contemporary political disputes, and preserving one of the most important archaeological locations associated with the ancient Kingdom of Israel as well as many successive civilizations, requires stable stewardship and management, consistent conservation standards, and unrestricted archaeological research.

From this perspective, considering the exceptional track record of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, maintaining Israeli administrative responsibility is the best means of safeguarding Sebaste/Samaria’s historical integrity for future generations.

As per the grounded fear of potential AP mismanagement of this site, suffice it to remember the deliberate removal by Arab Palestinian authorities of 9,000 tons of historical layers of soil from beneath the Temple Mount, summarily dumped in the Kidron Valley. Today, Israeli and international archaeologists based on Mount Scopus are sifting through the debris and recovering numerous artefacts and fragments dating back to 3,000 years ago. Another case is the PA allowing local mobs to repeatedly vandalize, pillage and burn Joseph’s Tomb (in Nablus). Over the past decades, there have been cases of assault and even murder of Jewish worshippers on that site.

If the World Heritage Committee’s objective is to preserve and value heritage, then it should bestow responsibility and care to competent archaeological authorities, and would get the expected results.

If instead, the priority is to throw a bone to political actors who have a record of neglecting historical facts, denying the identity and dignity of their neighbours, leaving corruption and violence to run amok, then we can expect vandalism, destruction and mismanagement again.

It would be a serious mistake to transfer the custody of Sebaste/Samaria to the Palestinian Authority – not only because of the Oslo Accords – but because Israeli archaeological authorities possess proven institutional capacities and have a greater commitment to protecting this unique site’s ancient remains from neglect, unauthorized construction, vandalism, or politically motivated reinterpretation.

We urge the World Heritage Committee to make the right decision. The historical site of Sebaste/Samaria cannot become yet another battleground for heritage warfare!