Lead Codices Less than 50 Years Old?

The Rev. Ian Paul, an Anglican priest who is Dean of Studies of St John’s, Nottingham College weigh in in the Lead Codices. From his blog Psephizo he writes:

It turns out [a] section had been copied, without understanding, from a grave inscription that has been exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Amman for the last 50 years. Thonemann concludes his letter to Elkington: ‘This particular bronze tablet is, therefore, a modern forgery, produced in Jordan within the last fifty years. I would stake my career on it.’

Dan McClellan has since shown that the lead tablets include images reproduced from the bronze ones using the same mould.

So, why was this story given any time at all? After all, such forgeries are appearing all the time.

I believe that the most significant reason is the continuing set-up by the media of academic ‘objectivity’ over against gullible faith. This is seen in the headline of today’s article in the Telegraph:

     Could this couple’s Bible ‘codices’ tell the true story of Christ’s life?

The implicit suggestion here is that the stories we already have are unreliable. Journalists are looking for a story, and people like the Elkingtons are gasping for the oxygen of publicity for their eccentric ideas. . . .