Fisherman Finds 2000-Year-Old Greek Statue
- 10 years ago
A man was casting his line in the Mediterranean off of Gaza when he noticed what he thought was a badly burned body. It turned out to be a 2,000 year old Greek bronze.
Many dream of finding a valuable work of art in the middle of nowhere, selling it, and rolling around, so to speak, in the millions upon millions of dollars gained.
Well, be careful what you wish for, because as one seemingly lucky fisherman can attest, it doesn’t always work out that way.
The man was casting his line in the Mediterranean off of Gaza when he noticed what he thought was a badly burned body.
Turns out it was a 2 thousand year old, life-sized Greek bronze of the god Apollo.
He and his relatives pulled the 1100-pound statue from the waters and carted it back home.
It made its way to eBay, but before it could be sold, it was confiscated by the Islamist group Hamas and is now being investigated.
Among the matters being looked into is where it really came from.
Due to its remarkable condition, there is doubt it’s been underwater all this time according to experts who have only been able to examine photos of it.
While the fisherman has been promised a reward, it’s clear the highly valuable work will never again be in his possession.
Museums including the Louvre have reportedly expressed an interest in it, and, once its provenance is cleared up, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Gaza will consider the statue’s fate.
Many dream of finding a valuable work of art in the middle of nowhere, selling it, and rolling around, so to speak, in the millions upon millions of dollars gained.
Well, be careful what you wish for, because as one seemingly lucky fisherman can attest, it doesn’t always work out that way.
The man was casting his line in the Mediterranean off of Gaza when he noticed what he thought was a badly burned body.
Turns out it was a 2 thousand year old, life-sized Greek bronze of the god Apollo.
He and his relatives pulled the 1100-pound statue from the waters and carted it back home.
It made its way to eBay, but before it could be sold, it was confiscated by the Islamist group Hamas and is now being investigated.
Among the matters being looked into is where it really came from.
Due to its remarkable condition, there is doubt it’s been underwater all this time according to experts who have only been able to examine photos of it.
While the fisherman has been promised a reward, it’s clear the highly valuable work will never again be in his possession.
Museums including the Louvre have reportedly expressed an interest in it, and, once its provenance is cleared up, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Gaza will consider the statue’s fate.