by Jake Dickerman

On March 21 the New York City Skeptics Public Lecture Series hosted journalist and author Nina Burleigh, who spoke to us about her new book, Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed, & Forgery in the Holy Land. Ms. Burleigh is an intelligent, energetic, and incredibly good-natured speaker (she even handled a few "rabble-rousing" members of the audience with aplomb).

The genesis of Ms. Burleigh's investigation into Biblical fraud and forgery was the infamous "James Ossuary" (an ancient Hebrew coffin, but just for the bones). In 2002 the ossuary, inscribed "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" was found in Israel, shipped off to the States, and touted as the first extra-biblical reference to Jesus Christ.

Ms. Burleigh's research led her to interview the key players involved in the ossuary saga: the archaeology collector, Shlomo Moussaieff; the seller of ancient wares, Oded Golan; and her Israeli "Hercule Poirot" Amir Ganor (ok, a Poirot that works for the government…maybe not so Poirot after all). The ossuary was eventually exposed as a fraud by examining the patina that had been cleverly applied to the box's cover, and through the syntax of the supposedly "ancient" Hebrew, which revealed that the letters were actually inscribed by a modern hand.

Ms. Burleigh's lecture highlighted how nationalism, religion, and greed can spoil a noble historical science like archeology, but also how solid scientific investigation and skeptical inquiry can expose the forgeries and bring the hoaxers to justice.

Unholy Business is on the shelves now. It's a great story, but it's even more fun when told by the author. Thank you, Nina!