Trade in Dead Sea Scrolls awash with suspected forgeries, experts warn

[muriel_volestrangler]

A multimillion-dollar trade in fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls fuelled by a surge in interest from wealthy evangelicals in the US includes a significant number of suspected forgeries, two prominent experts have said.

On scholar said the problem was so serious that up to 90% of the 75 fragments sold since 2002 could be fakes. Six of 13 fragments bought by Steve Green, owner of the US arts and crafts retail chain Hobby Lobby, are among the potential fakes, another expert said.

The figures involved in these private sales are jaw-dropping: individual fragments can sell for well over $1m.
...
“There is a spectrum of authenticity [and] I put six of the Green family fragments close to the forgery side of the spectrum,” Davis said. “But at this stage, because of the lack of provenance, there is a possibility that all of them could be fakes.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/21/trade-in-dead-sea-scrolls-awash-with-suspected-forgeries-experts-warn

[Bob Loblaw]

1. Additionally

With that kind of money the Hobby Lobby guy could pay someone to write what he wanted the fragments to say.

[Cartoonist]

2. No need to spend money for that

They'll interpret it to mean whatever they want.

[AZ8theist]

3. couldn't happen to a nicer guy....

Religious fucktard ripped off for millions?? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Lordquinton]

4. Fake religious artifacts have a long and glorious history

And so does art forgery, which is pretty much a victimless crime.

[Pope George Ringo II]

7. You had me at "Fake religious"

After all, what was the alternative?

[MineralMan]

5. I've heard it said that you can't con an honest person.

At one time, I had in my possession an authentic, fairly large cuneiform tablet from Assyria. It was in a collection of minerals I purchased from the estate of a mineral collector. It was hidden in the back of a drawer in one of the cabinets that accompanied the collection. I discovered it one day, by accident. It was accompanied by a translation of the tablet and a letter to that collector from the archaeologist who collected it as part of a dig, which authenticated it clearly.

No sooner than I had found it and was looking into selling it, I heard from the man's son, who asked me if I had the item. I told him that I did and had just discovered it. I returned it to him, because it wasn't a mineral specimen or related to the minerals I had purchased. It had a fairly high market value, in the low four figures, but it wasn't legitimately mine, and had been accidentally included in the lot of things I had purchased.

I could have used the money, but couldn't have told the man's son that I didn't have it. That would have been dishonest, and the money would have been wrongly gained.

[Iggo]

6. Didn't even read it before muttering to myself, "Goddam Hobby Lobby."