4-Year-Old Breaks Ancient Jar at Israeli Museum, Family Returns for Forgiveness and Learning

A 4-year-old boy’s accidental destruction of a 3,500-year-old jar at the Hecht Museum in Haifa has turned into an unexpected learning opportunity for both the boy and the museum, CNN reports.

Last week, while visiting the museum with his family, Ariel Geller, 4, broke a Bronze Age jar that had been on display for 35 years. The jar, dating back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C., was one of the only complete containers of its size from that period, likely used to hold wine or oil.

“It was just a distraction of a second,” said Anna Geller, Ariel’s mother. “And the next thing I know, it’s a very big boom boom behind me.”

Ariel’s father, Alex Geller, described his immediate reaction to the crash as “please let that not be my child.” The family left the museum shortly after the incident, understandably shaken.

However, the Hecht Museum, which is associated with Haifa University, decided to treat the incident as an opportunity for education and understanding.

Museum Director Inbal Rivlin explained that the museum’s philosophy is to allow visitors to interact with history without barriers, and that the artifacts are on display openly for this reason. She invited the Geller family back to the museum, and Ariel presented the museum with a clay vase of his own as a gesture of apology and understanding.

“We wanted to use the restoration as an educational opportunity and to make sure the Gellers felt welcome to return,” said Rivlin.

Experts are currently using 3D technology and high-resolution videos to restore the broken jar, aiming to have it back on display as early as next week.