Archaeologica.org

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/program ... mary.shtml

Some archaeologists have now concluded that everything that came to market in the last 20 years without clear provenance should be considered a fake. Many of these objects, like the stone tablet which started the investigation, were cynically playing on the desire of many of the collectors to see the bible confirmed as history. For those in search of the temple of Solomon - their goal is as far away as ever.

By "clear provenance" they mean a controlled excavation. For that reason a find like the Tel Dan stele (which was found by noted archaeologist Avriham Biran) is not in doubt (even though it was found in a secondary usage.)

Who came up with, and based on what, the 20 year number?

I first heard Israel Finkelstein mention it in an interview. In truth, the manufacture of relics has been a cottage industry in the M/E since the 4th century.

There have been a couple of high-quality forgeries in which truly ancient objects were altered to have fake "inscriptions" added to them. The alleged First Temple Pomegranate and the James Ossuary come to mind as examples. The Jehoash Tablet was carved on a stone brought by Crusader ships as ballast. Modern scientific techniques have advanced to the point where it is getting harder for the forgers.

However, 20 years may be optimistic.

I hope this doesn't come out wrong-lots of Gewürztraminer with dinner-but a person can almost admire the ingenuity shown by the counterfeiters.

Faking ancient goods has to be all kinds of fun and the schadenfreude factor involved when some pointy headed dork with more education than brains finds 'exactly what he's been looking for, the missing piece' must be something of a charge.

Well.....that and the fact that some of these pieces would have gone for millions on the antiquities market.