The British Museum a Romantic or Reckless Past?

I recently bought a copy of Irving Finkle’s “The Ark Before Noah”. I heard him talk on Radio 4 about a member of the public handing a cuneiform tablet to the museum, revealing a new story about the ancient Babylonian story of the flood predating the biblical story and how it eventually came to be in the bible. I just started looking at it this morning (I hope to put out a review some time next year) and came across a couple of names that were familiar to me from the past curators of the British Museum. These were a fascinating and eclectic bunch of people sometimes working on the edge of the law. Back in 1872 George Smith discovered the story of the flood, much as it is described in the book of Genesis, on a cuneiform tablet. One of his colleagues, E A Wallis Budge was one of these characters.

Rather than go off on tiring and expensive excavations Budge would go off on trips and trade with local antique dealers. If this meant dealing with the black market, so be it. One of his most famous acquisition was the Papyrus of Ani, a Book of the Dead. Whilst trading in Egypt he came into conflict with Eugène Grébaut, the director of the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in Cairo. At this time Egypt was controlled by France and the UK. In his role of colonial head of antiquities Grébaut had no intention of letting the British remove any antiquities from Egypt under his watch.

Whilst in Cairo Budge heard of important discoveries being made in Luxor and wanted to get there as soon as possible, before Grébaut could get his hands on the treasures. Grébaut arrested him though. The ever inventive Budge managed to make his escape. His assistant told the captain of Grébaut’s barge that if he ran the barge aground that Budge would pay him £50. Thus as Budge was being arrested his assistant ran in and told Grébaut’s man that he was needed immediately back at the barge and Budge made his escape and set off for Luxor.

Budge got to Luxor and made contact with a dealer. Along with the treasures he bought was a scroll that the trader thought nothing of. It was a complete version of a book of the dead. Budge was then arrested by Grébaut and his treasures were confiscated by the Egyptian authorities. Budge was placed in jail. His ever resourceful assistant was able to bribe the guards and Budge was released. His assistant told him that the treasure was being held at a store right next to the Luxor Hotel. Budge managed to make a deal with the owner,who let him tunnel through the wall of the hotel into the store where the antiquities were being stored. His men had to hurry as the treasures were due to be taken the next day. Budge organised for the guards of the store-room to have food and drink. Whilst they sat eating and drinking Budge’s men tunnelled through the wall and took back the treasures. By the time Grébaut came the treasures were long gone along with Budge.