For immediate release from Horeb Press:

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Unveiling the Moabite Scandal: A Journey into the Greatest Controversy in Biblical Archaeology

Dear Friends and Followers,

In 2021, I published The Moses Scroll and shortly thereafter announced a prequel, The Moabite Scandal, to unravel the greatest controversy in biblical archaeology. Today, I’m thrilled to share that this project is back on track, fueled by cutting-edge technology and remarkable new discoveries.

The Moabite Scandal is a tale of ambition, deception, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Sparked by the discovery of the Mesha Stele in 1868, an international race to uncover treasures in the sands of Moab led explorers into the uncharted wilds of Transjordan. Among them was Moses Shapira, a man with unparalleled connections to desert tribes, who acquired hundreds of artifacts known as the Moabitica, many bearing enigmatic inscriptions. Presented as authentic relics of a lost Moabite culture, these pieces captivated the world until 19th-century scholars condemned them as forgeries, closing the case with a verdict that has stood for over a century, forever branding Moses Shapira and his associate Selim al-Qari as notorious forgers.

But was the condemnation justified? Were all the Moabitica forgeries, or could some be genuine? Who were the alleged forgers, and does the evidence against them hold up under modern scrutiny? These questions have driven my research, and now, with new tools and discoveries, I’m ready to reopen this long-forgotten case.

For the past couple of years, progress on The Moabite Scandal has been slow. The project demanded extensive translation of 19th-century German and French documents, and early online translation tools were unreliable, making the process cumbersome alongside my other obligations. But now, I’ve harnessed Grok, created by xAI, a game-changing AI that has transformed my research. By streamlining translations and accelerating analysis, Grok has unlocked 19th-century archives with unparalleled efficiency.

More exciting still, my team and I have uncovered a treasure trove of previously unknown materials. We’ve acquired, never before published, handwritten documents by Moses Shapira himself, offering intimate insights into his world. Alongside these, we’ve gathered dozens of letters, articles, and books, many never translated into English, that shed new light on this captivating story. These discoveries, combined with AI-driven research, have reinvigorated our mission to tell The Moabite Scandal truthfully and comprehensively.

In The Moabite Scandal, I will take you back to the 19th century, immersing you in a world of daring explorers, elusive Bedouin sheiks, and clashing scholarly egos. You’ll journey with us across the globe as we track down surviving Moabitica pieces, scattered in museum basements, private collections, and forgotten archives. With the help of modern experts and scientific methods, we will reexamine these artifacts, asking the critical question: Could some of them be real? This fully documented and meticulously footnoted book will leave no stone unturned, offering a fresh perspective on a controversy that has been buried for too long.

I’m not yet ready to predict a publication date, but I can promise you this: The Moabite Scandal will be a thrilling, rigorously researched narrative that brings this extraordinary story to life. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this journey together. Join me on this adventure; follow along for updates as we uncover the truth behind the Moabite Scandal!

– rkn –