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Oxford professor accused of stealing Bible artifacts, selling them to Hobby Lobby

Oxford professor accused of stealing Bible artifacts, selling them to Hobby Lobby
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Oxford professor accused of stealing Bible artifacts, selling them to Hobby Lobby
A professor from the University of Oxford is accused of stealing Bible artifacts and selling them to the arts and craft store chain Hobby Lobby, according to Washington Post. Classics Professor Dirk Obbink, who is a Nebraska native, is said to have taken Bible fragments from a collection of several pieces of literature that were recovered from an ancient Egyptian garbage dump in 1896. WATCH RELATED ABOVE: Several Christian Relics Saved in Notre Dame Fire While Status of Some Artifacts Remains UncertainThe incident has been unsolved since 2012 but now, officials with the Papyri Project, managed by the nonprofit The Egypt Exploration Society, and the Museum of the Bible say they have finished a probe to solve the case that took around 3 months, according to the Washington Post. Professor Obbink is accused of taking and selling at least 11 items to the Hobby Lobby owners. “The has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby Stores by Professor Obbink,” the nonprofit said in a statement Monday.According to the Washington Post, Obbink is still a professor at Oxford and has not responded to the allegations. A spokesperson for the family that owns Hobby Lobby said the company purchased the items “in good faith.” Overall, there are 13 pieces of literature believed to have been taken from the nonprofit group, according to the The Egypt Exploration Society.

A professor from the University of Oxford is accused of stealing Bible artifacts and selling them to the arts and craft store chain Hobby Lobby, according to Washington Post.

Classics Professor Dirk Obbink, who is a Nebraska native, is said to have taken Bible fragments from a collection of several pieces of literature that were recovered from an ancient Egyptian garbage dump in 1896.

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WATCH RELATED ABOVE: Several Christian Relics Saved in Notre Dame Fire While Status of Some Artifacts Remains Uncertain

The incident has been unsolved since 2012 but now, officials with the Papyri Project, managed by the nonprofit The Egypt Exploration Society, and the Museum of the Bible say they have finished a probe to solve the case that took around 3 months, according to the Washington Post.

Professor Obbink is accused of taking and selling at least 11 items to the Hobby Lobby owners.

The [museum] has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby Stores by Professor Obbink,the nonprofit said in a statement Monday.

According to the Washington Post, Obbink is still a professor at Oxford and has not responded to the allegations.

A spokesperson for the family that owns Hobby Lobby said the company purchased the items “in good faith.”

Overall, there are 13 pieces of literature believed to have been taken from the nonprofit group, according to the The Egypt Exploration Society.