Ivory Pomegranate

The ivory pomegranate was bought by the Israel Museum more than a decade ago and assumed to date from the period of King Solomon. The inscription on the pomegranate reads “(Belonging) to the Temple (literally, house) of Yahweh, Holy to the Priests.” In 2005, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Museum declared the pomegranate to be a modern forgery. Debate still rages regarding its authenticity.

See also-

• Biblical Archaeology Review- Is the Ivory Pomegranate a Forgery or Authentic?
• Society of Biblical Literature- The Jerusalem Syndrome in Biblical Archaeology
• Pomegranate Scepters and Incense Stand with Pomegranates Found in Priest’s Grave, Michal Artzy, BAR 16-01, Jan-Feb 1990.