Approximately two months ago, Hassan Saida, the Israeli Bedouin who smuggled the Jordan Codices into Israel, telephoned to inform the team that he and his cohorts had made 500 forgeries of various of the codices and put them into the Jerusalem market. We didn't think too much of it as he tells lots of tales; however, one of team members was sent these two photographs by someone who purchased them in Israel. To those who have seen the real McCoy, these were obvious forgeries. However, even comparing them to the posted photographs, the difference is all too apparent. Below are some observations made by one of the metal experts assisting the team. We expect more will materialise in due course.Details of the supposed differences between the forged metal codices and the real ones follow, reportedly by this anonymous expert.
Isn't it interesting that "the team" was told by the source of their own metal codices two months ago that he had produced a lot of fakes, but they only thought it was worth mentioning now?
I have never ruled out the possibility that some of the inscribed material on some of the metal codices could be genuine ancient markings. But I have yet to see any evidence at all that this is the case and I have kept a careful eye out for it. Again (and again and again), I have summed up the evidence that they are fakes here and here.
It looks to me as though someone is realizing that the gig is up and is trying to prolong the news cycle on these items. Could it be that the next step will be for David Elkington to announce that oops he accidentally gave Peter Thonemann one of the fake codices but the rest in his possession are genuine? Meanwhile, we have an admission that the source of the codices "tells lots of tales" and that he has the resources to produce fake metal codices.
Thanks to Joel Watts who seems to have been the first to notice the latest Facebook post, and to Tom Verenna, who brought it to my attention by e-mail and to whom I owe the last point in the preceding paragraph.
I think the evidence presented so far is adequately explained by positing that someone in modern times made the fake metal codices, apparently using ancient metal, at least for some of them. If anyone wants to demonstrate that among the now admitted sea of fakes is a genuine ancient inscription, I refer them to my list of conditions that need to be fulfilled here. Take your time, but don't expect me to hold my breath.
Background here with endless links.
UPDATE: Tom Verenna comments on the latest here with links.
UPDATE: Why am I not surprised by this? Jordan Lead Codices: DELETE! DELETE!
UPDATE: One laughs. Or weeps. Or both. David Elkington’s Take on Paleo-Hebrew
