Academic ‘ethics’ and the Schøyen Collection Aramaic incantation bowls: a personal narrative

Abstract

The Aramaic incantation bowls in the possession of the Schøyen Collection have been the subject of academic controversy and police search. This paper discusses the ethical dimensions of scholarly engagements with the bowls, with a special focus on the actions of University College London and the British Academy. It concludes that there is little evidence of ethical reflection on the part of these institutions, and considers the chilling effects exerted by a wealthy private individual upon academic freedom.