Category Archives: Fakes and Forgeries

Forgeries, Inks, and Writing Surfaces

Posted on May 29, 2020 by

When I was writing God’s Library, I was constantly confronted with how little I knew about several domains of knowledge that are important for the study of ancient manuscripts. One of these areas is the more technical chemical make-up of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, Green Collection | 11 Comments

Statement on the So-Called Dead Sea Scrolls of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Posted on April 8, 2020 by

A couple days ago, Christianity Today reported that Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is closing what it calls “the nation’s leading evangelical archaeology program.” At the same time, the Seminary itself issued a statement explaining the shuttering of the program, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, William Kando | 4 Comments

Fake Dead Sea Scrolls and the People Who Sell Them: One Fragment’s Story

Posted on March 27, 2020 by

Two posts in recent days prompt me to wonder about the cast of characters involved in the marketing of the “post-2002 Dead Sea Scrolls like fragments” that most of the guild now regards as forgeries (though respected Dead Sea Scrolls … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, Green Collection, Lee Biondi, Schøyen Collection | 4 Comments

Report: All the “Dead Sea Scrolls” at the Museum of the Bible Are Fakes

Posted on March 13, 2020 by

In an article posted online earlier today, National Geographic reported something that is not that surprising to many of us who have been following this story: All 16 of the so-called “Dead Sea Scrolls” owned by the Museum of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, Green Collection | 8 Comments

National Geographic’s “Bible Hunters”: Some Observations

Posted on November 22, 2018 by

As Larry Hurtado mentioned on his blog a couple days ago, the cover story of the December 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine is on “Bible Hunters,” that is to say both nineteenth century figures like Constantine von Tischendorf and … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Fakes and Forgeries, First Century Mark, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, P.Ryl. 3.457, Van Kampen Collection | 2 Comments

An Old Quote from Frank Moore Cross on Unprovenanced Artifacts

Posted on October 30, 2018 by

I’ve just returned from a stimulating week at the University of Agder. I had loads of interesting conversations about a number of topics, many of them stemming from the Museum of the Bible’s admission that (at least) five of their … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, Frank Moore Cross, Palaeography | 9 Comments

Fake Dead Sea Scrolls at the Museum of the Bible

Posted on October 23, 2018 by

It has been a truly fascinating day for me at the University of Agder. After spending Monday morning and afternoon listening to sharp and informative talks by Matthew Monger, Ingrid Breilid Gimse, Josephine Munch Rasmussen, and Årstein Justnes on the probability that many … Continue reading →

Posted in Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries | 1 Comment

Visiting the University of Agder

Posted on October 17, 2018 by

I’m excited that next week I’ll be heading to the University of Agder in Norway to visit the research project, “The Lying Pen of Scribes: Manuscript Forgeries and Counterfeiting Scripture in the Twenty-First Century,” best known for its incisive investigations … Continue reading →

Posted in Fakes and Forgeries, Rylands Papyri | 2 Comments

“Ink & Blood” Back? (but with less ink?)

Posted on July 22, 2018 by

I’ve recently been doing some research on a few early Christian books that were on the antiquities market about a decade ago. There are a lot of interesting stories here. We’re all pretty familiar with the collection now known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Fakes and Forgeries, Oxyrhynchus Papyri | 14 Comments

Faces from Oxyrhynchus?

Posted on April 28, 2018 by

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of visiting the University of Edinburgh. In addition to chatting with a fascinating group of graduate students, I was able to squeeze in a quick trip to the National Museum of Scotland. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, British Museum, Fakes and Forgeries, Oxyrhynchus Sculpture, William Matthew Flinders Petrie | 4 Comments