The “Apollo” of Gaza ~ Part II: Questions of Condition and Authenticity
This is a fascinating discussion, long but worth every minute of it. Thank you rogue classicism!
Originally posted on rogueclassicism:
In case you missed our previous installments:
The “Apollo” of Gaza ~ Part I: Fishy Tales and Timelines
The “Apollo” of Gaza ~ Part Ia: Fishy Tales and Timelines
The “Apollo” of Gaza ~ Part Ib: Implications of the Arabic Press Coverage
In our previous installment(s) on the so-called “Apollo” of Gaza, we primarily questioned the apparently ever-developing story of the find as told by the fisherman of many names as reported by various news outlets. Now it is time to look at the statue itself and see if it’s possible, from the information we have been given, to discern whether this thing is a genuine antiquity or a fake.
At the outset, though, we should deal with another question related to provenance, specifically whether it was actually found in the sea or not. Despite the engaging story told by the fisherman, opinions on this seem to be divided. Our first opinion comes from the oft-quoted Jean-Michel de Tarragon of the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, who seems to be one of the few academics consulted on the issue by the press:
