An artist’s rendering of the Museum of the Bible. (Image courtesy of the Museum of the Bible)

As the Hobby Lobby’s smuggled antiquity drama seems to be drawing to a close, the Museum of the Bible is distancing itself from the affair. Hobby Lobby, the evangelical crafting company funding D.C.’s forthcoming museum, has just been fined $3 million for buying artifacts smuggled from Iraq. The PR firm representing the museum, DeMoss, denied it has a direct connection to the case.

“We have been made aware of the settlement between Hobby Lobby and the government. The Museum of the Bible was not a party to either the investigation or the settlement,” the statement to DCist reads. “None of the artifacts identified in the settlement are part of the Museum’s collection, nor have they ever been.”

According to a civil complaint and settlement agreement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Hobby Lobby must return thousands of cuneiform tablets, clay bullae, and cylinder seals in addition to paying the fine. Stolen antiquities looted from Syria and Iraq are a known funding stream for ISIS.

“We should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled,” said Hobby Lobby President Steve Green in a statement. “Our passion for the Bible continues, and we will do all that we can to support the efforts to conserve items that will help illuminate and enhance our understanding of this Great Book.”

In 2015, U.S. Customs agents seized a few hundred cuneiform-inscribed tablets heading to the Bible Museum via the United Arab Emirates and Israel, en route from Iraq and Syria. During shipping, the ancient tablets were vastly undervalued at $300 and their country of origin was misrepresented. Bible museum president Cary Summers claimed that “improper paperwork” and bureaucratic red tape were to blame for the seizure.

Construction on the $400 million not-for-profit museum, located three blocks from the U.S. Capitol, began in 2015. It is slated to open in February, DeMoss says. They’ve tried tried to keep attention focused on its innovative technology

Previously:
Ten Museums That Don’t Exist In D.C. … Yet
Photos: Museum of the Bible Will Open One Year From Today
Museum of the Bible Under Investigation for Violating 8th Commandment