7 year Trial Ends

The Jerusalem District Court has acquitted an Israeli antiquities collector. Oded Golan was accused of being part of an international forgery ring and forging dozens of priceless archaeological artifacts, including an inscription on the burial box, or ossuary, of James, brother of Jesus. The trial lasted seven years and the judge's verdict ran 475 pages. In it, he made a point of recognizing the disputes between scholars over the matter, commenting at one point, "If you, the world's leading experts in this field, cannot agree with each other on the authenticity or otherwise of these items, how do you expect me, a mere judge, to reach a conclusion?" Despite the acquittal, one of the prosecution experts says the verdict only indicates there was no legal way to prove the fraud, but doesn't change the minds of those who believed the items were faked.