Israeli Authorities Arrest Antiquities Dealers In Connection With Hobby Lobby Scandal
At 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Israeli police say, authorities arrested five Palestinian antiquities dealers in Jerusalem and confiscated items dating back thousands of years from their homes and shops: papyrus fragments from the Egyptian Book of the Dead , the bust of an Etruscan woman , a fresco from Pompeii depicting swimming fish. They also seized more modern objects — two black luxury Audi vehicles — and more than $200,000 in cash.
NPR has learned the reason for the early Sunday morning arrests: Israel's Antiquities Authority says the dealers were involved in sales of antiquities — including items that U.S. authorities determined were smuggled — to Hobby Lobby, the national U.S. arts and crafts chain.
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The arrests could have a chilling effect on Jerusalem's storied antiquities market, making it harder for pilgrims, tourists and high-end collectors to legally own a piece of history from the land of the Bible.
Police say the dealers' total antiquities sales to Hobby Lobby president Steve Green took place from 2010 to 2014 and added up to some $20 million.
'' Police say the dealers' total antiquities sales to Hobby Lobby president Steve Green took place from 2010 to 2014 and added up to some $20 million.''
I posted an article a few weeks ago that covered the $3 million in illegal antiques that Green purchased. One of the question that was brought up was the huge number of antiques that Green had at his soon to opened ''museum'' in D.C. without a trail proving that they were legit. This $20 million that is being claimed as sold to Green opens up a whole new area of concern.
Hopefully Green will be forced to prove that they are legit..
The $3 million in illegal antiques that Green purchased were claimed to be worth $300 on the shipping/customs documents.
The $3 million in illegal antiques that Green purchased were claimed to be worth $300 on the shipping/customs documents.
Oh, there's a simple explanation - someone just misplaced a decimal.
I can't imagine what would draw attention when what you're shipping costs a tiny fraction of what it costs to ship it.
Hobby Lobby! Reputed for it's religious integrity!
Thou shalt not steal! Well, unless...
The muslims want them back so they can smash them.
I am so-o-o-o impressed, Dean! Really!
Yes really.
They toppled priceless statues at the Mosul Museum in northern Iraq. They used sledgehammers and power tools to deface giant winged-bull statues at Nineveh on the outskirts of Mosul. At Nimrud, IS detonated explosives, turning the site into a giant, brown, mushroom cloud. They used assault rifles and pickaxes to destroy invaluable carvings at Hatra; and at Palmyra in Syria they blew up the 2,000-year-old temples dedicated to the pagan gods Baal Shamin and Bel.
It’s difficult to interpret the unprecedented scale of this heritage destruction. The global media and politicians have tended to frame these events as random casualties of wanton terror or as moments of unrestrained barbarism.
"the muslims"
Like I said... I am so-o-o-o impressed, Dean. Comment removed for skirting the CoC. [ph]
It's better to let the God fearing Evangelicals steal them and profit from the theft.
What a great world the takers live in.
Yes it's clearly better.
Nice to know that a law and order guy like you Cerenkov supports law breakers and condones theft of priceless artifacts.
Praise be to God!
... and pass the contribution plate...
Yup.
:^(