Deranged American Tourist Hurls Priceless Ancient Roman Statues to the Floor and Defaces Them in Israeli Museum – Lawyer Says Man Suffered From ‘Jerusalem Syndrome’
Head of the Athena statue – 2nd century AD,
An American tourist allegedly had a mental breakdown and went on a bizarre destructive rampage at an Israeli museum, smashing two priceless ancient Roman statues from 2nd century AD, and claimed that they represented ‘idolatry’ and were ‘contrary to the Torah’, authorities said.
But the man’s lawyer is pointing out to a well-known, if controversial condition: the Jerusalem syndrome.
This group of mental phenomena revolves around ‘the presence of religiously themed obsessive ideas, delusions, or other psychosis-like experiences that are triggered by a visit to the city of Jerusalem’ or elsewhere in the Holy Land.
The syndrome has allegedly affected Jews, Christians, and Muslims of many different backgrounds.
