January 14, 2010
Ancient papyrus seized in Jerusalem
Undercover Israeli officers foiled an attempt by two Palestinian men to sell an ancient, valuable papyrus document on the black market, police said Wednesday. The men were arrested at a Jerusalem hotel Tuesday after a sting operation lasting several weeks, police said. The 1,900-year-old Hebrew document, previously unknown and valued at millions of dollars, was rescued, and police showed it to reporters.Full article here. Am a bit dubious about the valuation, considering it appears to be a rather unexciting legal contract -- no lost gospels or the like.It was unclear where the two men obtained it, police and archaeologists said. Similar documents have been found in caves in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea, where they have been preserved over the centuries by the dry climate, they said.
Posted by David on January 14, 2010 11:34 PM
The traffic in ancient materials, documents and artifacts remains a serious issue that in many ways is not dealt with for what it is. There are many valid arguments that can be made to stamp out the trade in these materials; Destruction of sites, loss of context, lack of preservation skill to protect the materials, etc. However, there really is an "up" side to all this. Those in the "business" find materials that archaeologists have not found, and bring them to the attention of the public, albeit for a fee.
Posted by: Donald Wolberg on January 17, 2010 1:17 AM
gmail.com