Monday, December 16, 2024

Rollston on the Samaritan Decalogue tablet - Caveat emptor

EPIGRAPHIC DOUBTS? Sotheby’s Samaritan 10 Commandments and the Antiquities Market: Caveat Emptor (Christopher Rollston, Times of Israel).
Am I certain the Sotheby’s Samaria Ten Commandments were forged some 75 to 100 years ago? No. But am I convinced these are genuine ancient Samaritan inscriptions from 1000 or 1500 or 2000 years ago? Absolutely not. In short, Sotheby’s seems to be making a number of problematic assumptions, and I do not find that to be useful. Thus, I would simply conclude with these words: caveat emptor.
Northwest Semitic epigrapher Christopher Rollston raises some signficant points in this essay.

Background here and here, with links to posts on its previous sale in 2016. The object goes up for auction on 18 December.

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