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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Tue Oct 15, 2019, 11:44 AM Oct 2019

An Oxford professor allegedly stole ancient Bible fragments and sold them to Hobby Lobby

Source: Washington Post

An Oxford professor allegedly stole ancient Bible fragments and sold them to Hobby Lobby

By Katie Shepherd
Oct. 15, 2019 at 7:34 a.m. EDT

Since 2012, scholars and University of Oxford officials have been trying to trace a rumor that the oldest Bible fragment ever discovered not just existed but had been mysteriously stolen and sold to American arts-and-crafts giant Hobby Lobby.

Now, officials said they have finally cracked the case. The suspected thief at the center of the biblical controversy? Professor Dirk Obbink, one of the most celebrated classics professors in the world, a Nebraska native and MacArthur “genius grant” recipient who had long directed — and allegedly looted — Oxford’s Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project, a collection of centuries-old literature recovered from an ancient Egyptian garbage dump in 1896.

On Monday, officials from the Papyri Project released the results of a three-month probe into Obbink, and accused the acclaimed professor of taking and selling at least 11 ancient Bible fragments to the Green family, the Hobby Lobby owners who operate a Bible museum and charitable organization in Washington.

The Egypt Exploration Society, a nonprofit that manages the Papyri Project’s collection of ancient literature, and the Museum of the Bible explained their findings in statements shared with The Washington Post.

“The (museum) has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby Stores by Professor Obbink,” the nonprofit said in a statement Monday.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/10/15/oxford-professor-allegedly-stole-ancient-bible-fragments-sold-hobby-lobby/

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Related: Professor Obbink and missing EES papyri (Egypt Exploration Society)

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An Oxford professor allegedly stole ancient Bible fragments and sold them to Hobby Lobby (Original Post) Eugene Oct 2019 OP
Hobby Lobby needs a name change Zambero Oct 2019 #1
Good one! secondwind Oct 2019 #2
"Good Book Crooks"? Chiyo-chichi Oct 2019 #5
New keyboard! catrose Oct 2019 #8
"Desirous of Papyrus"? Chiyo-chichi Oct 2019 #9
Hmmm. Thou shalt not steal. LakeArenal Oct 2019 #3
The question remains Cartaphelius Oct 2019 #4
Looting and Lying for Jesus so all is good. yellowcanine Oct 2019 #6
Another Daily Beast follow up with some interesting background. Anon-C Oct 2019 #7

LakeArenal

(28,729 posts)
3. Hmmm. Thou shalt not steal.
Tue Oct 15, 2019, 11:53 AM
Oct 2019

Thou shalt not covet.
Thou shall not lie.

Sounds like someone not reading what they steal.

 

Cartaphelius

(868 posts)
4. The question remains
Tue Oct 15, 2019, 12:05 PM
Oct 2019

exactly why they were stolen?

What were the actual texts and did they represent
divergent histories that the Bible Story?

Christians... Obviously, as history has demonstrated time and time again,
they had a reason beyond simple the simple possession of antiquities.
Especially, as the church, no doubt has a copy in its possession at the
Vatican.

Just what are they hiding?

Probably, evidence that their self-proclaimed legitimacy, is a fraud on humanity.

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