Into the Land: The Forgery Scandal

Does a private individual hold two of the most important archaeological items ever discovered in Israel? In 2002, antiquities collector Oded Golan was accused of forging two items of the highest importance: the ossuary of James, brother of Jesus, and the Jehoash Inscription — the only physical proof of Solomon’s Temple. Twenty years later, after repeated expert examination, it’s still unclear if these items are authentic or at least partially falsified.

In this second episode of The Times of Israel’s new, original “Into the Land” docuseries, we explore the international controversy behind these alleged archaeological forgeries — and the uncertainty and interests that appear inherent to historical verification.

A Times of Israel Original Video
Created by: Eiv Kristal & Natan Odenheimer
Research and Script: Natan Odenheimer
Cinematography: Ido Cohen
Edit & Grading: Eiv Kristal
Sound Mix & Score: Avraham Kober
Design and Motion Graphics: Danielle Biran
Narration: Natan Odenheimer
Copyediting: Amy Teibel

For those who wish to slow down the audio/video, click on the wheel icon (“Settings”) on the bottom-right of the video screen. Click on “Playback speed,” and then select a slower speed. We recommend 0.75 to better understand the commentary.

Watch Episode 1: ‘Into the Land: Dead Sea Walking’
Watch Episode 3: ‘Into the Land: A Tale of Two Cities’