Fact Check: Is That A '500-Yr-Old Torah Scroll In Bashar al-Assad Basement' In Syria? Know The Truth

A claim is viral that a 15th-century Torah scroll was found in Bashar al-Assad's basement after he fled Syria.

Claim: A 500-year-old Torah scroll was discovered in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's basement after he fled Syria.

Fact: The claim is false. The video is old and shows Tunisian authorities intercepting an antiquities smuggling operation involving a 15th-century Torah scroll.

Hyderabad: On December 3, 2024, reports surfaced that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country following the rebel capture of Damascus, marking the end of his 24-year rule. Reports claimed that the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched a swift offensive, bringing an end to over five decades of Assad family rule. Amid speculation, it was later reported that Assad and his family sought asylum in Moscow, with Russia granting them refuge on humanitarian grounds

In the wake of this political upheaval, a video began circulating online, claiming that a 500-year-old Torah scroll was discovered in Bashar al-Assad’s basement in Syria. The video, lasting 1:19 minutes and in Arabic, shows a press report about a historical script scroll.

An X user shared the video with the caption: “I don’t know what’s more enthralling. A 500-year-old Torah scroll found in Assad’s basement or the rebels wanting a selfie with it.” (Archive)

Similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral video is unrelated to the ongoing events in Syria or Bashar al-Assad.

A reverse image search led us to a report by YNet News dated November 3, 2017.

The report, titled ‘Tunisian Authorities Prevent Smuggling of 15th-Century Torah Scroll,’ included a shorter video of the ancient scroll, which is similar to the viral video.

The report stated that a Torah scroll—37 meters in length and 47 cm in width—was being smuggled to a European country when Tunisian National Guard officials intercepted the operation. A press conference by Tunisian National Guard spokesman Khalifa al-Shibani revealed that unidentified foreign individuals had attempted to purchase the rare artefact.

Furthermore, a keyword search led us to a report by The Times of Israel, dated March 12, 2017, titled ‘Smugglers of Rare Torah Scroll Caught in Tunisia,’ which confirmed the incident.

 This report stated that Tunisian authorities apprehended members of a smuggling network based on intelligence about their plans to sell the Torah scroll abroad.

Therefore, the claim that a 500-year-old Torah scroll was found in Bashar al-Assad’s basement is false. The video is about a 2017 incident in Tunisia when authorities intercepted the smuggling of a rare Torah scroll.

DISCLAIMER: This story was originally published by Newsmeter.in, as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline and excerpt, this story has not been edited by ABP Live staff.