Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 02-18-2004, 08:26 PM

Fake ossuary leads Israel to look into sellers of antiquities

Quote:

An Israeli documentary Wednesday claimed the James ossuary, the ancient burial box bearing a discredited inscription mentioning Jesus, is just the tip of a long-running forgery ring that has duped antiquities collectors worldwide for the last 15 years.
. . . .

Produced with the help of Israeli Antiquity Authority (IAA) officials, the Israeli investigative news show Ouvda ("fact" in Hebrew), says ossuary owner Oded Golan participated in dozens of forgery sales.

Golan denied the charges on the show, calling them "unbelievable." However the documentary claims an Egyptian craftsman created the forgeries for Golan. Golan would provide inscription designs for the forger, and then sell objects to collectors � like a faked Bible-era lamp for $100,000.

The article refers to a recently released book Mary and the Ossuary: Beneath the Brother of Jesus Forgery by Ian Ransom, which is already being bombed with negative anonymous reviews on Amazon.

See also this ANE post

Quote:

Pre-publication, the author and publisher of "Mary and the Ossuary" received direct, repeated, rambling, and incoherent threats from Mr. Golan himself, who admittedly had read only a first "sample chapter" of the book. Mr. Golan did not, it would appear, appreciate or grasp the concept of documentation. These bizarre threats were duly reported by the author, Mr. Ransom, to the proper authorities and a police case-file opened immediately.

More crucial, the threats and the book are now firmly in the hands of Israeli police as pertinent evidence in the ongoing investigation. Lead investigator Jonathan Pagis is on-the-record in referring to the book as "an excellent example of the analysis of open sources," among other things. Major journalists on three continents are working in association with Mr. Ransom as this drama reaches its imminent conclusion. Mr. Ransom has also gone on-the-record as prepared to donate ALL proceeds from the work to ASOR-approved archaeological digs -- in direct apposition to the form of fakery and publicity-mongering that occasioned this hoax, and especially certain infamous agendas favoring the publication of looted or unprovenanced antiquities.

gridleyjason · 02-18-2004, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toto

The article refers to a recently released book Mary and the Ossuary: Beneath the Brother of Jesus Forgery by Ian Ransom, which is already being bombed with negative anonymous reviews on Amazon.
[/B]

This is a bit of an over statement, isn't it? There are, as of my writing this, twelve reviews on amazon. How many are of them are anaymous. And how many of the ones that are anonymous are negative.

Jason

Toto · 02-19-2004, 12:03 AM

Well, since you ask,

5 stars from Selena Hewitt-Long, Anders Erikkson, Adrian OConnor, Christopher Wilkinson, A reader from Charlotte, North Carolina (this review was posted about 4 times).

All of these reviews indicate some membership in ths SBL and/or scholarly expertise.

1 star (lowest rating) from A reader from Chicago, IL; A reader from Miami, FL, A reader from Seattle, WA, A reader from Chicago, IL. One review is positively defamatory, the others just hostile. All anonymous. None indicates any level of scholarship.

There is a lot of gaming of Amazon reviews thiese days.

Postcard73 · 02-19-2004, 12:19 AM

I think the thing I find interesting about the ossuary is the way so many Christians seem determined that it has to be valid. Every Christian I talk to always tells me that we have all the evidence we need to fully believe in God, the validity of the Bible, etc.; yet when something like the ossuary comes along, they cling to it like it's the last sprig of grass keeping them from falling off a cliff. Fair or not, it gives me the impression that many of them require more validation for their faith than they actually have...

Doctor X · 02-19-2004, 03:41 AM

People want to believe their fairytales are real.

Do we not all wish we could go to a lake in England and have Excalibur rise for us . . . okay . . . visiting England is unfortunate, but heros must suffer for the prize. . . .

--J.D.

rlogan · 02-19-2004, 03:52 AM

Frankly, this Golan character seems to be following the very best of bible and church tradition as practiced for many millenia.

I think we should celebrate a return to ancient tradition of makin' up stories, bringing tablets down from God's hand, discovering "lost" books, and etc.

For a while there it looked like we were about to fall into apostasy and start believing in facts...

Doctor X · 02-19-2004, 04:49 AM

Archbishop of Cantebury Blackadder: So let's see how we can make some money.

Father Baldrick: Well basically we have three major areas: pardons, relics, selling the sexual favors of nuns.

AB: People actually pay for that?!

FB: Yeah, businessmen, other nuns. . . .

AB: What do we have for pardons?

FB: Well basically you get what you pay for. Here is one for "Talking with your mouth full of food," signed by the assistant-curate of Wells to this one for pardoning you for all sins "including the rape, murder, and dismemberment of a close friend or relative. . . ."

AB: And it's signed by?

FB: Both Popes. Now for relics, we have your standards. Points to a collection of bottles Wine from the Wedding at Canaa. Points to a pile of wood Splinters from the Cross . . . Owe! Licks tumb.

Father Percy: This is awful!! How will anyone know which are the true relics and which are fakes?!!

AB: That's exactly the idea!

FP: Well Produces a small packet from sleeve I have a true relic. It is a finger from Our Savior. It cost me a princely sum. Baldrick you stand amazed.

FB: Holding up a box of fingers Yeah, I thought the only came in sets of ten!!

Blackadder: The ArchBishop

--J.D.

Weltall · 02-19-2004, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doctor X
okay . . . visiting England is unfortunate, but heros must suffer for the prize. . . .

--J.D.

The food could use some work but the atmosphere is really nice.

Doctor X · 02-19-2004, 11:04 AM

If you like rain. . . .

Seriously, why is this guy--Golan, not Wetall--not in jail yet?

--J.D.

Weltall · 02-19-2004, 11:51 AM

Maybe they're waiting to gather enough evidence to be certain of convicting him? I dunno.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

02-19-2004, 12:03 AM	#3
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Well, since you ask, 5 stars from Selena Hewitt-Long, Anders Erikkson, Adrian OConnor, Christopher Wilkinson, A reader from Charlotte, North Carolina (this review was posted about 4 times). All of these reviews indicate some membership in ths SBL and/or scholarly expertise. 1 star (lowest rating) from A reader from Chicago, IL; A reader from Miami, FL, A reader from Seattle, WA, A reader from Chicago, IL. One review is positively defamatory, the others just hostile. All anonymous. None indicates any level of scholarship. There is a lot of gaming of Amazon reviews thiese days.

02-19-2004, 12:19 AM	#4
Postcard73 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Roanoke, VA. Posts: 2,198	I think the thing I find interesting about the ossuary is the way so many Christians seem determined that it has to be valid. Every Christian I talk to always tells me that we have all the evidence we need to fully believe in God, the validity of the Bible, etc.; yet when something like the ossuary comes along, they cling to it like it's the last sprig of grass keeping them from falling off a cliff. Fair or not, it gives me the impression that many of them require more validation for their faith than they actually have...

02-19-2004, 03:41 AM	#5
Doctor X Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,794	People want to believe their fairytales are real. Do we not all wish we could go to a lake in England and have Excalibur rise for us . . . okay . . . visiting England is unfortunate, but heros must suffer for the prize. . . . --J.D.

02-19-2004, 03:52 AM	#6
rlogan Banned Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,159	Frankly, this Golan character seems to be following the very best of bible and church tradition as practiced for many millenia. I think we should celebrate a return to ancient tradition of makin' up stories, bringing tablets down from God's hand, discovering "lost" books, and etc. For a while there it looked like we were about to fall into apostasy and start believing in facts...

02-19-2004, 04:49 AM	#7
Doctor X Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,794	Archbishop of Cantebury Blackadder: So let's see how we can make some money. Father Baldrick: Well basically we have three major areas: pardons, relics, selling the sexual favors of nuns. AB: People actually pay for that?! FB: Yeah, businessmen, other nuns. . . . AB: What do we have for pardons? FB: Well basically you get what you pay for. Here is one for "Talking with your mouth full of food," signed by the assistant-curate of Wells to this one for pardoning you for all sins "including the rape, murder, and dismemberment of a close friend or relative. . . ." AB: And it's signed by? FB: Both Popes. Now for relics, we have your standards. Points to a collection of bottles Wine from the Wedding at Canaa. Points to a pile of wood Splinters from the Cross . . . Owe! Licks tumb. Father Percy: This is awful!! How will anyone know which are the true relics and which are fakes?!! AB: That's exactly the idea! FP: Well Produces a small packet from sleeve I have a true relic. It is a finger from Our Savior. It cost me a princely sum. Baldrick you stand amazed. FB: Holding up a box of fingers Yeah, I thought the only came in sets of ten!! *Blackadder:* The ArchBishop --J.D.

02-19-2004, 11:04 AM	#9
Doctor X Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,794	If you like rain. . . . Seriously, why is this guy--Golan, not Wetall--not in jail yet? --J.D.

02-19-2004, 11:51 AM	#10
Weltall Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 3,283	Maybe they're waiting to gather enough evidence to be certain of convicting him? I dunno.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.