An attorney for an American tourist arrested for smashing ancient Roman statues at the Israel Museum says his client may have “Jerusalem Syndrome,” a mental illness in which visitors to the city believe they are Biblical figures.
On Thursday, the 40-year-old tourist began destroying 2,000-year-old Roman sculptures that were found in Israel and that have been on display in the archaeological collection of the Israel Museum, which also houses art exhibits.
The Times of Israel reports:
An attorney for an American tourist accused of smashing and causing severe damage to two ancient Roman-era sculptures at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is exhibiting signs of “Jerusalem syndrome,” the man’s lawyer said Friday.
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Authorities have said the suspect, in his 40s, indicated to them that he destroyed the statues while visiting the museum Thursday because he believed they were “against the Torah” and represented idol worship.
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Jerusalem syndrome is the name given to religiously-themed delusions or psychosis triggered by a visit to Jerusalem. The condition can affect visitors who have shown no signs of mental illness previously, and usually resolves upon departure from Israel.
The British Journal of Psychiatry describes Jerusalem Syndrome as “religious excitement induced by proximity to the holy places of Jerusalem.” It is believed to affect 50 to 100 tourists during visits to Jerusalem each year.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.