Museum of the Bible Returns Ancient Gospel Looted From Greek Monastery
The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., said that it has returned a looted, handwritten gospel to the Greek Orthodox Church, the New York Times reports. The item, which dates back more than a millennium, is believed to have been taken by Bulgarian soldiers from the Kosinitza Monastery in Greece during World War II. The D.C. museum, which bought the work at Christie’s in 2011, has in the past been plagued by claims that its collection contained an array of illegally trafficked cultural property. In 2017, Hobby Lobby, whose owners founded the museum, paid a $3 million fine for importing thousands of looted items, which have since been returned.