Theft
EES
Arrests
It has now been made public, by the Oxford Blue that American papyrologist Dr. Dirk Obbink, an associate professor in papyrology and Greek literature at Oxford University, was taken into custody on 2 March 2020 by the Thames Valley police on suspicion of theft and fraud. His arrest last month came in direct response to a formal complaint filed on 12 November 2019 involving the theft of papyrus fragments from the Oxyrhynchus collection, owned by the Egypt Exploration Society (EES), and housed at Oxford’s Sackler Library.
To date some 120 pieces have been identified as having been removed without permission from Oxford University premises. Thirteen of these fragments eventually found their way to the United States where they were purchased by the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.
The EES lists the 13 fragments sold to the Museum of the Bible as:
Genesis 5: P.Oxy. inv. 39 5B.119/C(4-7)b. [PAP.000121]
Genesis 17: P.Oxy. inv. 20 3B.30/F(5-7)b. [PAP.000463]
Exodus 20-21: P.Oxy. inv. 102/171(e). [PAP.000446]
Exodus 30.18-19: P.Oxy. inv. 105/149(a). [PAP.000388]
Deuteronomy: P.Oxy. inv. 93/Dec. 23/M.1. [PAP.000427]
Psalms 9.23-26: P.Oxy. inv. 8 1B.188/D(1-3)a. [PAP.000122]
Sayings of Jesus: P.Oxy. inv. 16 2B.48/C(a). [PAP.000377]
Romans 3: <related to P.Oxy. inv. 101/72(a)>. [PAP.000467]
Romans 9-10: P.Oxy. inv. 29 4B.46/G(4-6)a. [PAP.000425 one part]
1 Corinthians 7-10: P.Oxy. inv. 106/116(d) + 106/116(c). [PAP.000120 three small fragments]
Quotation of Hebrews: P.Oxy. inv. 105/188(c). [PAP.000378]
Scriptural homily: P.Oxy. inv. 3 1B.78/B(1-3)a. [PAP.000395]
(parchment) Acts of Paul: P.Oxy. inv. 8 1B.192/G(2)b. [MS.000514]