Israel Museum: Only Relic From Solomon's Temple Is A Forgery

An Ivory pomegranate which many believed to be the only surviving relic of King Solomons temple has been proven to be a forgery. One has to wonder how many other religious artifacts like the Shroud of Tourin and others like the grail and ark are simply made up?

JERUSALEM - An ivory pomegranate long touted by scholars as the only relic from Solomon's Temple is a forgery, the Israel Museum said Friday, as investigators were wrapping up a separate probe officials say uncovered several antiquity forgery rings.

Indictments in that investigation are to be handed down next week, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Among those to be indicted is Israeli collector Oded Golan, the Justice Ministry confirmed. Golan, who denied wrongdoing, owns the two most spectacular artifacts declared fakes last year: a burial chest purported to be that of James, the brother of Jesus, and a stone tablet with inscriptions on how to maintain the Jewish Temple.
Forgery

Originally posted by FredT
An Ivory pomegranate which many believed to be the only surviving relic of King Solomons temple has been proven to be a forgery. One has to wonder how many other religious artifacts like the Shroud of Tourin and others like the grail and ark are simply made up?

I would bet most of them. Several samples from different areas were taken from the Shroud of Turin, and they were carbon dated to the early middle ages. Some of the faithful still claim that the Shroud itself was authentic, and the samples must have been taken from areas that were re-sown by nuns in the middle ages. I suppose this is possible, but not likely.

There is no mention of the Ark of the Covenant in the Bible after the Babylonian invasion (I'm assuming you're referring to this Ark, and not Noah's). In all probability it was either destroyed by the Babylonians, or taken back to Babylon as an offering to their gods.
There is an alternative legend that the Ark was taken from Jerusalem to Ethiopa by Menelik, illegitimate son of Solomon and Sheba. The Ethiopan Coptic Church even claims it is in possession of the Ark. The claim sounds sort of wild and imaginative, but Graham Hancock traveled there to see for himself, and wrote a good book about it ("The Sign and the Seal").

The Holy Grail is only mentioned a couple of times in the Gospels, and it is practically impossible to distinguish any fact from fiction in the Arthurian legends. In fact, the whole story could be a myth. On the other hand, the Holy Grail may indeed have been discovered by Galahad and Parzival, and is now hidden in some secret chamber underground in Ye Olde 'n' Jolly England.

Merry Christmas everyone!


[edit on 25-12-2004 by Masonic Light]