Emperor in the Dust

As a stockbroker, Morton Leventhal, 38, uses the telephone to track down clients and commissions. When he is on vacation, he turns to an electronic metal detector and searches for another kind of treasure: ancient coins and other artifacts. Last month, as he neared the end of a visit with his married sister at the kibbutz Tirat Tzvi, south of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, the amateur archaeologist and numismatist had little to show for his efforts. With the help of his $160 metal detector, he had uncovered many sardine cans, bottle caps and shell casings, but no coins.

Then an acquaintance suggested that Leventhal try a nearby field that was lying fallow. After bicycling to the site, Leventhal began to sweep the area with his detector. Soon the beep-beep in his earphones changed to a wail. Leventhal unsheathed his 8-in. scout knife, dug through the dry soil and unearthed a peculiarly shaped cylinder that he thought was just "another sewer pipe." Then the detector sounded off for another hit. More knife digging, and Leventhal was suddenly staring at what seemed to be curls on the back of a bronze head. He dug out the head, wrapped it in two T shirts and a towel, and went back to the kibbutz, where it was put on display in the dining hall.

Breastplate Combat. The Israeli Department of Antiquities rushed a district archaeologist to the kibbutz. He excitedly identified Leventhal's find as part of a statue of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from A.D. 117 to 138. Leventhal was reminded that according to Israeli law, he should have left his find in place until the official arrived. He responded that if he had not removed it, a passing tractor might well have chopped it to pieces. Besides, there was much more of the statue at the site. The sewer pipe, at first thought to be a leg, proved to be an arm; within a few feet was a breastplate magnificently decorated with warriors in hand-to-hand combat. Some parts may be missing, but when the remnants are assembled, Israel will have only the second life-size bronze statue of Hadrian known to exist.

The statue will be displayed in Israel's capital. "There was no way that statue wasn't going to Jerusalem," said Leventhal. In the 2nd century, the Jews who lived there "would have given anything to get their hands on Hadrian," who crushed the revolt led by Patriot Bar Kokhba and savagely persecuted the Jews. Now that contemporary Israelis have him, they are not about to let Hadrian go. As consolation for not letting Leventhal keep his find, Israeli archaeologists have promised him some ancient Jewish coins for his collection.

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