Jerusalem fire that damaged Israel Museum building being investigated as arson
Authorities locate three separate places from where fire is believed to have been started in Valley of the Cross

Authorities are investigating the fire that broke out in Jerusalem’s Valley of the Cross as suspected arson, Hebrew media reported on Monday.
The fire started in the valley around 12:40 p.m. on Sunday. Investigators have identified at least three locations from which the fire is believed to have started, according to the Kan public broadcaster.
From the valley, which is home to an 11th-century monastery and named for a tradition connecting it to the cross on which Jesus was crucified, according to Christian belief, the fire was carried in the direction of the Israel Museum, amid high winds and exceptional heat.
No further information about the investigation was available.
Some 23 firefighting teams were called to the scene of the fire, along with eight firefighting planes. It was brought under control shortly before 4 p.m., the Fire and Rescue Services on Sunday.
Nobody was hurt in the Israel Museum, all staff were evacuated and the museum is closed to visitors on Sundays.
שרפה פרצה בעמק המצלבה בירושלים: 14 צוותי כיבוי והצלה ממרחב תחנת "הבירה" מבצעים כעת פעולות לכיבוי מוקדי השרפה ומניעת התפשטותה. לאחר הערכת מצב הוחלט לפנות את מוזיאון ישראל. צילום: יוחאי תמיר pic.twitter.com/vmCCaToA4J
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The museum later confirmed that although some damage was caused to the roof of the youth wing, nobody was injured and none of the museum’s works were in danger.
The Israel Museum is the country’s largest cultural institution, and in 2021 was listed as the world’s 17th largest museum.
It houses some 500,000 works, ranging from prehistoric to contemporary art, as well as an extensive Biblical and Holy Land archaeology collection, which has earned it a reputation as one of the world’s leading art and archeology museums.
It is also home to the Dead Sea Scrolls, a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts dating back to the third century BCE. They are kept in the museum’s Shrine of the Book wing, along with several other ancient Jewish manuscripts.