Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 05-17-2006, 09:54 AM

FWIW Wikipedia on Shlomo Moussaieff and his descendants

Quote:

Shlomo Moussaieff the Israeli born millionaire who has lived in London since the early 1960s is the son of Rehavia Moussaieff, and grandson of Shlomo Moussaieff of Bukhara. He made most of his fortune by selling precious jewelry to international royalty and high society. ...

During World War II, when he was 17 years old, young Moussaieff was drafted into the British army. After the fighting ceased, he found many Kabala books in the treasuries of deserted synagogues in Italy. These books where to follow him for the rest of his life.

...

Shlomo’s greatest affection is to the Bible and it’s [sic] hidden wisdom. His passion for the Bible led him over the last half-century to purchase the richest collection of Biblical archaeology.

He has funded a center for Kaballah research at Bar Ilan University.

I don't know if you would call his interest in the Bible political or theological, but he does not seem to be a simple inerrantist.

darstec · 05-17-2006, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

FWIW Wikipedia on Shlomo Moussaieff and his descendants

He has funded a center for Kaballah research at Bar Ilan University.

I don't know if you would call his interest in the Bible political or theological, but he does not seem to be a simple inerrantist.

Take this with a grain of salt but if these words are any where near an accurate account, I do think he is a biblical literalist at the very least, and my experience is that those types are always inerrantists.

From trial_sheds_light_on_shadowy_antiquities_world

Quote:

Moussaieff, 82, told the court he bought the temple decanter from Deutsch for $150,000. Police said it was an authentic item but the inscription was faked with the help of Golan, who received half the money. Moussaieff also described buying several inscribed pieces of pottery from Golan and Deutsch for $200,000, and similar pottery from a dealer acting for Rafi Brown for $180,000. Police said those items were also fakes.

Moussaieff told the court he stood by the authenticity of every item in his collection but said if he had been fooled, he only had himself to blame.

''I'm not stupid, I don't throw money away just because someone has come to sell me something," Moussaieff said in an interview during a break in the trial. ''I'm suspicious of everything and everybody, particularly when there are large amounts of money involved. I still believe these items are genuine. I think the James ossuary is genuine."

Moussaieff said he had spent millions of dollars on his collection of antiquities intending to prove the truth of the Bible.

And what should one make of this statement as reported in http://www.bib-arch.org/bswbOOossuary_rolling.asp:

Quote:

“Sometimes I know that something is fake,” he testified, “but I want it so much to be real. So I pay the penalty. Everything I have I believe is real, even if it is forged. It is like a man who falls in love with a problematic woman, and he doesn’t care what the neighbors will say.”

, does that not sound like the mentality of a Fundamentalist?

Toto · 05-17-2006, 12:35 PM

That doesn't sound like a fundamentalist, more like a new age Kaballist who thinks that what he wants can be actualized, but knows that it might be self-deception.

And who would say this under cross examination:

Quote:

DC: Did you ever receive an export license for the artifacts that you bought here [in Israel]?

MS: It is possible that I received [one], it is possible that I did not.

DC: Did you ever remove antiquities from Israel to the other countries?

MS: They did not catch me.

Fundamentalists do not have that sort of a sense of humor.

darstec · 05-17-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

That doesn't sound like a fundamentalist, more like a new age Kaballist who thinks that what he wants can be actualized, but knows that it might be self-deception.

And who would say this under cross examination:

Fundamentalists do not have that sort of a sense of humor.

Considering his explanation of his wife being an attorney and he being a diplomat, I would say he was attempting to be evasive, i.e. lying. I read it as both the courtroom and judge laughted at his stupidity at trying to get around the questions. At least that is what I might have done.

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