Jerusaelem Forgery Conference Report

Real or Fake? A Special Report Brings You the Latest

In January 2007, the Biblical Archaeology Society convened a conference in Jerusalem of leading scholars from all over the world to assess a number of well-known artifacts that had in recent years been labeled as forgeries. If these artifacts are in fact genuine, they would have a major impact on our knowledge of the Biblical world.

Biblical Archaeology Review editor Hershel Shanks has written a detailed report on this important conference. He introduces the participants and their specialties and explains how their various fields of expertise can help assess the genuineness of the artifacts.

The expert consensus that emerged from the conference is frequently at odds with how these artifacts have been portrayed in the press over the past five years. The participants also discussed how scholars should approach objects that have come from the antiquities market: Should they be avoided altogether, as some scholars and scholarly organizations have urged, or should they be studied for the valuable information on the ancient world they frequently contain?

The Appendix to this report contains abstracts and papers submitted by the participants.
Also included in the Appendix is a report by the former head of the FBI’s photo analysis lab supporting the authenticity of the Ossuary Inscription, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.”

To download a free copy of the Forgery Conference Report and/or the Appendix, fill in the box at right. If you would prefer, we will send you a bound copy of the report and Appendix for $39.95.

Gabriel Barkay, one of the conference participants and a highly respected Israeli archaeologist, delivered a paper in which he outlined ten key points all scholars should agree on in judging issues of authenticity. His comments are in the Appendix. Listen to Barkay’s talk by clicking on the audio button at upper right.