The Oxford Papyri Scandal: "a crime against culture and knowledge of immense proportions"

The Guardian has an extended review of what will probably become known as the Oxford Papyri Scandal (Charlotte Higgins, "A scandal in Oxford: the curious case of the stolen gospel", The Guardian 9 January 2020). The report includes a review of the movement of papyri to the Museum of the Bible, and the apparent role of one Oxford academic. 

Manchester University academic Roberta Mazza is quoted,

The Greens have “poured millions on the legal and illegal antiquities market without having a clue about the history, the material features, cultural value, fragilities and problems of the objects,” she said. This irresponsible collecting “is a crime against culture and knowledge of immense proportions – as the facts unfolding under our eyes do prove.”

It will be interesting to see what information was reviewed by the relevant Oxford research ethics committee when the funding for the project was scrutinised.