Fifth Suspect Indicted In Israeli Artefact Deception

Last week, after days of investigation and inquiries by a Jerusalem Court, Rafael Braun – a former head of the antiquities laboratory at the distinguished Israel Museum - was accused of antiquity fraud.

On Monday, a Government official and museum spokeswoman announced the fifth suspect Braun had been indicted for being instrumental in forging an allegedly discovered treasure trove of fake biblical artefacts. The court indicted Braun after a five-day effort to track him down.

Four antique dealers have been charged with "forging a slew of biblical artefacts reputed to be the proof and origins of Christianity". In order to link them to major biblical events or persons and increase greater values for each artefact, Oded Golan, Robert Deutsch, Shlomo Cohen and Faiz-al-Amaleh were charged with manually adding inscriptions to real antiques.

Specifically, the indictment accused Braun (whose name was withheld, while the court tracked him down) and antiquities collector Shlomo Cohen, of attempting to forge an inscription on an ostracon - a fragment of limestone pottery - from the period of the kingdoms of Judea, which lasted from the 10th to sixth century B.C.

The indictment accuses Braun and Cohen of collaborating to form a conspiracy forging an ‘ostracon’ intending its purpose to constitute an authentic ostracon, bearing an inscription from a period of the Judean kingdoms.

"Both the accused did this for financial benefit, near or during 1995...", the indictment said.

Police say the ring forged what were presented as perhaps the two biggest biblical discoveries in the Holy Land in recent years - the purported burial box of Jesus’ brother James and a stone tablet with written instructions by King Yoash on maintenance work at the Jewish Temple.

Israeli police spokesman, Gil Kleiman told AP last Wednesday, "Had they pulled off this fraud, they would have succeeded in changing the history of the Jewish and Christian people,"