In late 2004, the Israel Antiquities Authority dropped a double-barreled bomb-shell on the country's antiquities community. First, it declared a priceless artifact -- an inscribed vessel dating to the Temple of Yahweh -- a modern forgery. Four days later, The IAA began its public pursuit of four respected collectors/scholars which it claimed were linked to several objects it declared modern forgeries.
The four men have been rigorously fighting their case through the courts in an effort to salvage their reputations. Everyone I have spoken with about the case -- both in the antiquities trade and in academia -- believe the men are innocent of the charges. Most believe the IAA is simply on a crusade to try to destroy the legitimate (and fully licensed) antiquities trade in Israel. They believe the IAA witch hunt is designed to scare away buyers, intimidate dealers, and make an example of the four men.
The scholarly and antiquities community has rallied around the four accused men. Not just because the four are well-respected, but because virtually no independent laboratory or scholar who have examined the declared "modern forgeries" actually believes they are fake. In fact, Biblical Archaeology Review publisher Herschel Hanks offered to buy the vessel at the center of the fire-storm (an inscribed ivory pottery vessel in the shape of a pomegranate dating from the time of Solomon) for $400,000, the same amount paid by the museum to acquire it.
Within the last week, more evidence has emerged from inscription specialists validating the inscribed pomegranate. The latest issue of the Israel Exploration Journal (Vol 56, No. 2, 2006), features results of two new scholarly studies both exonerating the authenticity of the pomegranate. One report, by Andre Lemaire, concludes "I am fully convinced of the genuineness of the ivory pomegranate, the authenticity of the inscription, and its use in a sacred service of the priest in the Temple of Yahweh. To this effect the epigraphical evidence alone, in my opinion, is absolutely convincing." The trial of the four men continues.
I just read a biography of O'Keeffe and didn't pull any puhencs. She was so influenced by Stieglitz in the first part of her career that the best thing that happened was leaving him and living in New Mexico where she truly found herself. It does show that even a very strong, opinionated woman can be influenced unduly by those around her telling her what to do and what will sell and so on. Thanks for your blog, Donna, it's one of my favorites and always gives me something to chew on!
Posted by: Vladimir | April 26, 2012 at 02:14 AM