One of the manuscripts in question, depicting St. John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascent. Photo: nyt.com
Posted on 03/01/2019 5:16:31 PM PST by marshmallow
One of the manuscripts in question, depicting St. John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascent. Photo: nyt.com
The University of Princeton has denied all allegations that it is unlawfully holding ancient Orthodox manuscripts, as a lawsuit filed by Patriarch Bartholomew charges. The school is also seeking compensation for legal costs, reports the Daily Princetonian.
The claim involves three illuminated Byzantine manuscripts more than 1,000 years old that have been valued treasures in Princeton’s collection for decades, reports the New York Times.
The manuscripts are St. John Chrysostom’s Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, written by Nikephoros the Notary in 955, St. John Climacus’ Ladder of Divine Ascent, written by the scribe Joseph in Constantinople in 1081, and pages from the 9th-century that were probably part of St. John’s Commentary that may have been rebound at some point to the Ladder. The plaintiffs are also seeking the return of a 16th-century version of the Commentary.
The university received them as a gift in 1942 from a trustee and alumnus who had bought them at a German auction house in the 1920s. However, the lawsuit, filed in December 2018, claims that Bulgarian guerillas stole the manuscripts when they stormed the Theotokos Eikosiphoinissa Monastery in 1917 and assaulted the monks living there. The plaintiffs, including Pat. Bartholomew, the Metropolis of Drama, and the monastery, therefore believe the university’s possesses the manuscripts unlawfully and have demanded their return.
The university has countered that not only does it possess the manuscripts legally, but that it does not even have relevant or sufficient information to determine whether the plaintiffs were ever the legitimate owners in the first place.
(Excerpt) Read more at orthochristian.com ...
Princeton only bows to Mooslims.
BS lawsuits like this are why there are statutes of limitations.
In this case it would be statutes of illuminations :-)
MLK donated/willed papers to Boston University. MLK's sleazy son tried to get them back.
Granted, no where near being in the same class as Byzantine Manuscripts, but the son has the same avaristic mind-set as the Clintons, albeit not as successful.
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