Dead Sea Scrolls Scholar Arrested
Hanan Eshel, one of the leading Dead Sea Scrolls scholars, along with his graduate student at Bar-Ilan University, Roi Porat, were charged by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) for illegally locating and purchasing an ancient document, which in this case turns out to be a scroll fragment from the Book of Leviticus nearly 2000 years old. Eshel claims, and his colleagues at Bar-Ilan University agree with him (as do I) that he paid a Bedouin man $3000 so that Eshel could protect the scroll from further damage. By law in Israel one has to report the discovery of ancient documents to the IAA within 15 days. Hypocritically, the government of Israel actually allows the trade of antiquities. Remember what my good friend Indiana Jones said, “That piece belongs IN A MUSEUM!” You can read more about this story on the following websites:
Ha’aretz
Jerusalem Post
