An ancient tablet containing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was taken from Iraq and sold to Hobby Lobby under false pretenses has been returned to that country.
The arts and crafts chain bought the 3,600-year-old cuneiform artifact known as the"Gilgamesh Dream Tablet" in 2014 to display at the Museum of the Bible, but the sale was predicated on a false assurance of its provenance, officials said.it hopes the repatriation sends a message that the U.S. will take action to seize and return looted artifacts.the return was"a major victory over those who mutilate heritage.
Fareed Yasseen, Iraq's ambassador to the U.S., spoke of the despair at the looting of Iraq's artifacts and said the country's history is deeply felt by Iraqis. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Sumerian poem that is considered one of the earliest works of narrative poetry in the world. The 6-inch-by-5-inch tablet is written in Akkadian, an ancient Mesopotamian language.Hobby Lobby, whose owners established the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., bought the tablet for $1.6 million in a private sale from an auction house, according to court documents.
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