Robert Deutsch

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Robert Deutsch is an Israeli antiquities dealer, archaeologist, epigrapher, and numismatist. He is known for being accused of six forgery charges of several biblical archaeological artifacts in 2004.

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Education and background

Deutsch has a PhD from Tel Aviv University. He participated in the Tell Megiddo archaeological expedition from 1992 to 2004 and was also a lecturer in epigraphy at the University of Haifa from 1997 to 2004. In addition, Deutsch served as the president of the Israel Numismatic Society from 2015 to 2019. [1] [2]

Trial, acquittal, and subsequent lawsuit

In 2004, Deutsch, Oded Golan and three others were indicted in a Jerusalem court on charges of forgery. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) claimed that the four were part of a forgery ring that had been operating for more than 20 years, misleading collectors of biblical artifacts and museums worldwide into purchasing apparently biblically-significant artifacts that were really modern-day forgeries. [3]

In 2008, Deutsch and the other remaining defendants (two had their charges dismissed from the case) filed for the case to be dismissed, alleging that the prosecution had failed to present a case. [4] However, the judge disagreed, and the trial continued. [5]

In 2012, Deutsch was acquitted of all charges as the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the judge on the case said that the outcome did not represent a comment on the true authenticity of the objects, [6] and the IAA continued to maintain that the artifacts part of the trial were "unequivocally established" as forgeries by experts. [7]

Following his acquittal, Deutsch sued the IAA, its director Shuka Dorfman, the head of the IAA's anti-theft unit Amir Ganor, the Jerusalem District Attorney and Assistant District Attorney. Demanding $3 million in damages, the suit alleged gross negligence by the defendants in the prosecution of the forgery trial and irreversible damage to his business and academic reputation. [8] [9]

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References

  1. ↑ "Robert Deutsch - Academia.edu". Academia.edu. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Robert Deutsch". Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  3. ↑ The Associated Press (30 December 2004). "Museums warned about Bible-era fakes". NBC News. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Staff, Biblical Archaeology Society (6 February 2008). "Hershel Shanks: Trial Reaching Climax?". Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "החלטה - מדינת ישראל נגד 1. עודד גולן,2. רוברט דויטש,3. רפאל בראון - נמחק,4. שלמה כהן - נמחק,5. פאיז אל עמלה - עניינו הסתיים". Law4All. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Hasson, Nir (30 March 2012). "Israeli antiquities collector talks about his trial – and his acquittal". Haaretz. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  7. ↑ Bolen, Todd (14 March 2012). "Not Guilty: James Ossuary Trial Ends". BiblePlaces.com. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Kalman, Matthew (December 2013). "Deutsch Files $3 Million Suit Against Israel Antiquities Authority | Bible Interp". The Bible and Interpretation. University of Arizona . Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "Antiques dealer sues Israel for $3 million after being acquitted of forgery charges". Fox News . 25 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
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