The Rabbi, The Antiquities Dealer, And the Court

Antiquities seem to be in the news always these days. And misdoings in their handling, disposition, and deportment are as widespread as governmental incompetence. Case in point- the New York Rabbi who hasn’t paid for an ancient copy of the Ten Commandments that he purchased from Robert Deutsch.

The Jerusalem Post reports

A Brooklyn rabbi and an Israeli antiquities dealer are trading barbs over an ancient stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The dispute has now been taken to a Federal Court in Brooklyn, where an Israel-based antiquities dealer, Robert Deutsch, claims he has yet to receive full payment on a number of antiquities, including a 4th century CE stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments. Deutsch claims that Brooklyn-based Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch, of no relation, agreed to pay $110,000 for the stone in 2003. The stone, an ancient Samaritan synagogue inscription, was found in 1913 at the excavation of an ancient synagogue in Tel Yavne. The inscribed slab sat on top of the Torah ark, as was the custom. Rabbi Deutsch, who runs the Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn, where the slab is showcased, says he sent a $27,500 deposit on the slab with the understanding that the dealer would provide export permits from the Israel Antiquities Authority. Those permits arrived, but specified a five-year time limit, after which Rabbi Deutsch was expected to return the artifact to Israel. “We told Deutsch we are not interested in renting the stone,” said the Brooklyn rabbi. “He is trying to perpetrate a theft against the museum over an artifact inscribed with ‘Thou shalt not steal.’”

Harsh words, Rabbi. What’s Robert have to say?

According to Robert Deutsch’s attorney Thomas McGowan, the rabbi failed to pay for several other items he purchased and was well aware that the permit on the Samaritan slab was for five years. “I have a letter signed by him asking for a five-year permit, so the implication is that he understood,” said McGowan. “Perhaps he needs to read the other commandment ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness.’” Nearly a year ago, an Israeli court ruled against Rabbi Deutsch, stating that he owes Robert Deutsch NIS 428,890, according to McGowan. “All we are trying to do is collect the money he owes.”

Nothing warms the heart like a contest of dueling commandments! Pay him, Rabbi, it’s the right thing to do. If you have the slab and other items it proves you wanted them and you should pay for them. If you keep them without paying, that’s stealing!

Got Your Taxes Ready? Here’s What Your Money Will Be Spent On

Via this website. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy doesn’t it?

Hector Avalos and Something Else He Doesn’t Know Much About

Antonio Lombatti notes that lectures by Avalos titled ‘How Archaeology Killed Biblical History‘ (part one here, and part two here) are available for viewing. His earlier book calling for the execution of Biblical Studies among persons of faith is now followed up by another sideswipe at people outside the atheist camp.

Avalos fails to understand that the Biblical text isn’t about history and hence there’s no way that archaeology can ‘kill’ a biblical ‘history’ that doesn’t exist anyway. Like the fundamentalists with which he shares so many ideas, he fails to recognize that the biblical text isn’t what he wants it to be. Indeed, what’s so fascinating about Avalos is that he is the perfect fundamentalist. Except he doesn’t love God, he hates God. And so he’s made it his life’s work to denounce anyone who finds ‘God’ a meaningful and existentially important concept / reality. To be blunt, he’s an evangelist for anti-theism.

Next I expect he will publish some sort of iTunes podcast of his lectures in which he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Church doesn’t really exist and is in fact only a figment of everyone’s imagination. Methinks, in actuality, that he desires to be a sort of second rate Richard Dawkins. If only he weren’t motivated by loathing, perhaps he could manage it.

Finally, A Holiday I Can Get Behind 100%

Better than any of the ‘Greeting Card Holidays’ (like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day and all the rest invented by Hallmark to pull money from your pocket and make you feel guilty if you don’t blow a ton of it on someone because they successfully performed a biological function), it appears that today is Blogger Appreciation Day. Let the glorious compliments flow…

UPDATE:  Well you festering lot…  Not a single compliment in almost two hours.  I see how you are.  Oh the horror, all the years I stayed up at night with you nursing you through your fever and not a one of you ingrates gets me something for appreciation day.  Shame on the bunch of you….

The AAR Has Decided Not To Break Up With The SBL

Pat McCullough (who evidently is a member of AAR- I’m not) passes along an email that he received (I guess in good Pauline tradition of passing on what he hears), and posts it here. I think the SBL should hold out for some sort of advantage or other- you know- the way jilted women do when their man comes crawling back. Anyway, I’m glad they made the decision that they have. It’s great seeing AAR friends at the Annual Meeting (because otherwise I have nothing to do with those crackpots).

A New Essay in See-J Hiphil

Newly posted in See-J Hiphil, A Note on כראי in Nahum 3:6. Enjoy.