docoflove1974 Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) So, I'm reading the good ol' San Francisco Chronicle this morning, and I see this article: Ancient Jewish treasures in monastery, book says. Gold, silver vessels reportedly in West Bank cave Essentially, Mark Kingsley, a British archeologist, claims to have found part of, if not most, of the treasure from the Temple of Jerusalem which was taken back to Rome after Vespasian sacked the holy city. His premise is that the treasure was brought back to Rome; when Gaiseric, the Vandal king, came down to sack Rome, he took said treasure and hauled it off to the Temple of Carthage, and did not liquidate the gold and silver; somehow this treasure ended up back in (Byzantine) Roman hands, specifically Justinian. Justinian felt that those civilizations who held onto the treasure 'crumbled into disarray', and decided to bring it back to Judea. There are some questions as to how it got from Constantinople to some small desert monastery called Mar Theodosius, but it is there that, supposedly in 614 CE a monk hides the treasure in caves below or outside the monastery...and while the monastery was in disrepair and disuse for 1300 years, no one found it. Um. yeah. So many questions about this...not to mention that the article notes that the Israeli officials are of the opinion that the treasure never left Rome, and has been in the Papal coffers until now, where it was planted in the caves as a rouse. I found the notion that Gaiseric "wouldn't liquidate" the loot was balderdash...it's gold and silver, it's meltable...it would be gone, I'm sure of it. Not to mention that time gap of 1300 years where no one was at the monastery...actually, scratch that, it all sounds fishy. So...ye experts of history of that dark time...what say ye? EDIT: I can't seem to get the link to hyperlink right...ack...help? Edited October 23, 2006 by docoflove1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Viggen posted about this in the other archaeological forum: Treasures Looted By Rome 'are Back In The Holy Land' Oh, and here is the fixed link to your article: Ancient Jewish treasures in monastery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) Ambrosiana's article: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...001&sc=1000 I may be in error, but wasn't Kingsley once accused of faulty research and conclusions? Sorry, didn't realize that it was already in. Edited October 23, 2006 by Gaius Octavius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Viggen posted about this in the other archaeological forum: Treasures Looted By Rome 'are Back In The Holy Land' Oops...didn't realize that it was the same article. Forgive me! And, from what many of you said in that thread, we're all in agreement...somewhat fanciful! My dad came up with another theory...that this archeologist is riding the Dan Brown/"Da Vinci Code" wave, and perhaps this is more of a work of historical fiction that many are trying to turn into reality. I tell ya, I could go with that easier than I can that somehow there is treasure still around, and that it's hidden in the desert of Judea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Oops...didn't realize that it was the same article. Forgive me! And, from what many of you said in that thread, we're all in agreement...somewhat fanciful! Nothing to forgive! Just wanted you to get caught up with our disparagement of the news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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