Provenance of Christian antiquities questioned

Is the drive to present a history of the Bible actually helping fund terrorism?

At least two experts in the field say it’s entirely possible.

The Museum of the Bible set to open next year just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington is promoting itself as having the largest collection of artifacts and fragments of documents that helped create the earliest bibles.

But just how the family behind the new museum got those artifacts and fragments is an ongoing question, so much so that the FBI is investigating, the agency previously acknowledged. In fact, the FBI seized a shipment of such relics in 2011 that the Greens said were "small clay tablets" worth only $300 at the time.

Experts say the problem is that the museum may not be documenting the source of such items accurately, calling into question both authenticity as well as whether the artifacts were procured legally from the source. And that could mean indirect connections to overseas terrorist groups.

“These days, the likelihood of any newly discovered materials, especially in the volume we’re talking about here that are coming from Syria and Iraq, is almost certain that they came out of the ground illegally or were looted,” said Joel Badin, a religion professor with the Yale Divinity School.

“And those groups doing this kind of activity more often than not are done under the direct pay or control of groups like ISIS, the Taliban or Al Qaida,” Badin said.

The Green family that created the Hobby Lobby empire is the driving force behind the new $400 million museum. And according to that organization’s tax returns, the Greens have donated hundreds of millions worth of antiquities and artifacts to the museum.

Yet the artifacts might not have the proper documentation, or “provenance,” experts like Badin say.

He and Notre Dame University biblical studies and Christian history professor Candida Moss co-wrote a story in The Atlantic earlier this year that outlined such concerns. They were among the last to interview Museum of the Bible chairman Steve Green, who is also the current president of Hobby Lobby.

The Greens have declined all interview requests, including several from The Enquirer/USA TODAY.

“They certainly are bolstering the market for biblical antiquities with how much they are buying, especially anything on papyrus,” Moss said. “And that creates a situation where people aren’t asking for the right documentation. That incentivizes lots of people, not just terrorists, to steal and loot, and that is a bad thing.”

As for the mission of the museum itself, Badin and Moss said that they believe the Greens want to present an objective view of the history of the Bible.

“But whether or not they can or will allow that to happen is an open question,” Moss said. “It will be interesting to see whether they can meet the high standards of other museums … it will be more about what they leave out of the museum than what they present.”