The Fraud of the Century

I became intrigued by the story of the faked biblical archaeology in 2004, when I read in the newspaper that the Israeli authorities had indicted five men for what they were calling "the fraud of the century." The authorities charged that a group of men had colluded in altering actual archeological relics to make them seem to related directly to biblical stories or characters. On doing so, the forgers "played with the beliefs" of millions of religious people worldwide, the authorities charged.

I am not a religious person, but the older I get the more interested I am in people of faith. I mean that in the most respectful way. I would like to know what it is that sustains them, in this materialistic world?

The story of the biblical forgeries intrigued me because I didn't think that people of faith needed material proof. I wondered what manner of men would deviously create such proof.

When I got over to Israel and began interviewing people involved in the story, I realized that everyone involved – the cops, archaeologists, licensed dealers and collectors – all approach this material from a personal belief system which colors their point of view. People were seeing what they wanted to see, and science was being used to bolster those belief systems.

In the end, the trial of the alleged forger and his alleged cohorts (now down to one other defendant, three were dismissed) put biblical archaeology itself on trial.

For three years, scholars were called as witnesses to testify that the objects in the case – from Herodian oil lamps to seals allegedly belonging to Old Testament kings, and finally to the famous James Ossuary itself – were fake. The prosecution asked each of the witnesses to explain their bonafides and talk about why, from their narrow areas of arcane knowledge, the objects were fake. Then the defense lawyers would have at them. Most of the witnesses, accustomed to the reverential questions of polite students, fell apart under the withering cross-examinations delivered by deft, crafty and experienced attorneys.

The authorities do have an eyewitness to the creation of the forgeries and evidence of what seemed to be a well-equipped workshop in which to make them. But the eyewitness is Egyptian, and Israeli authorities cannot compel him to cross the border and come testify.

In late October, the exasperated judge in the case told the prosecution to consider dropping its case. And the Israeli police are about to be left with their "fraud of the century" unpunished.

I have a question for readers: does it really matter whether this material is real or fake? Do you agree that faking proof for people who want to believe should be punished, and why?

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