My goodness. Just Monday we covered a court verdict about a lawyer gone bad-- who committed all sorts of crimes as he tried to twist History to his whims. And today we find a case that's just as troubling, but unlike the Norman Golb case, looks to be much more difficult to resolve.
What I'm talking about is the limestone burial box that cropped up in 2002. This ossuary (a box which holds bones) had an electrifying Hebrew inscription which read, "James son of Joseph brother of Jesus". And, as you can well imagine, it grabbed the attention of religious groups and middle eastern historians (amongst others) because of it's association with Jesus of Nazareth.
The burial box was immediately snatched up and put on display at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum where it became the focus of intense studies and papers. The only problem was that the experts at the Israel Antiquities Authority soon declared it a fake. (There is a long history of fakes and forgeries in the religious realm.)
What I'm talking about is the limestone burial box that cropped up in 2002. This ossuary (a box which holds bones) had an electrifying Hebrew inscription which read, "James son of Joseph brother of Jesus". And, as you can well imagine, it grabbed the attention of religious groups and middle eastern historians (amongst others) because of it's association with Jesus of Nazareth.
The burial box was immediately snatched up and put on display at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum where it became the focus of intense studies and papers. The only problem was that the experts at the Israel Antiquities Authority soon declared it a fake. (There is a long history of fakes and forgeries in the religious realm.)
Israeli police seized the burial box and arrested its owner, Tel Aviv collector Oded Golan. In December 2004 he was charged with faking the ossuary and dozens of other items, including an inscribed tablet linked to King Joash, which, if authentic, would be the only physical evidence from the Temple of Solomon.
The case has proceeded and unfortunately the 'experts' can not agree upon whether the artifact is a fake. Even after 5 years of debate which brought "133 witnesses, 200 exhibits and nearly 12,000 pages of witness testimony. The prosecution summation alone ran to 653 pages."
The question comes down to 'patina'. Some experts finding the correct combination of microbes and minerals deep in the grooves of the letters; while others insist that what they found could have been forged.
No decision yet, but if you'd like to read more, Check Out this AOL News article.
No decision yet, but if you'd like to read more, Check Out this AOL News article.
Good News. They've uncovered a way of killing off the fungus that is destroying the beautiful Maoi heads on the Eastern Islands.
There are 887 heads currently standing. They were created by the Rapanui (or Rapa Nui) people who are thought to have settled their about 300-400 AD. Everything else about the isle and it's inhabitants are controversial. Oral tradition, for example, is said to have been at Anakena, a white sandy beach. Jared Diamond has a piece in his book Collaspe (wiki link) (amazon-link) that addresses this settlement.
READ MORE - TheArtNewspaper.comThere are 887 heads currently standing. They were created by the Rapanui (or Rapa Nui) people who are thought to have settled their about 300-400 AD. Everything else about the isle and it's inhabitants are controversial. Oral tradition, for example, is said to have been at Anakena, a white sandy beach. Jared Diamond has a piece in his book Collaspe (wiki link) (amazon-link) that addresses this settlement.
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