Treasures Looted By Rome 'are Back In The Holy Land'

[Viggen]

A collection of sacred artefacts looted by the Romans from the Temple of Jerusalem and long suspected of being hidden in the vaults of the Vatican are actually in the Holy Land, according to a British archaeologist. The trumpets, gold candelabra and the bejewelled Table of the Divine Presence were among pieces shipped to Rome after the looting in AD70 of the Temple, the most sacred building in the ancient Jewish faith.

 

After a decade of research into previously untapped ancient texts and archaeological sources, Dr Kingsley has reconstructed the treasure's route for the first time in 2,000 years to provide evidence that it left Rome in the 5th century.

 

full article at Times Online

[phil25]

There are umpteen different theories about the whereabouts of the Temple treasures (Menora etc) seized by Titus.

 

Aren't they supposed to have been buried under a riverbed by Alaric's Visigoths?

 

I actually laughed out loud when i read in the newspaper yesterday that some thought them locked away in the Vatican's vaults!! Those vaults must be HUGE - as vast as the wharehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark and as secures as that seen in "X-files, no doubt - so much of the world's history is stored there away from view.

 

No harm in treasure hunting, but the odds are that at some stage after 70AD these items were melted down for their value as bullion, or destroyed in a fire in Rome, or looted and broken up. They were always symbolic, always precious. Had they survived or been taken away we would have subsequent reports, sightings....

 

As ever, I wait to be convinced, but frankly the chances are slim that this story has any truth in it.

 

Phil

[Primus Pilus]

Aren't they supposed to have been buried under a riverbed by Alaric's Visigoths?

 

It's always interesting to me how many ancient stories have similar counterparts.

 

This one is conspicuously similar to the story of the buried treasure of the Dacian King Decebalus.

[Pantagathus]

I thought the contents were used to fund the building of the Flavian Amphitheater?

[DecimusCaesar]

Weren't some spoils given to the temples?