Seizing Antiquities as Ransom Payment

A decision by a federal judge in Chicago is setting a bad precedent that can affect antiquity collections in museums and universities.

A federal judge in Chicago has authorized victims of terrorism to seize Iranian artifacts from the University of Chicago and the Field Museum as payment in a $251 million default judgment against Iran.

Among the items to be seized are tens of thousands of ancient tablets and other antiquities that are housed in the University of Chicago and in the Field Museum.

I fear that such a seizure of antiquity could create a bad precedent and lead to similar action in cases where acts of terrorism are involved.

Read the full press release here.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tag: Archaeology