Intrigue

Federal investigators uncover a shadowy scheme to smuggle ancient clay tablets into America.

When customs officers in Memphis inspect a package labelled "tile samples" in January 2011, they discover something far more precious - delicate clay tablets covered in cuneiform, one of humanity's earliest forms of writing. Through exclusive interviews with former US prosecutor Karin Orenstein and special agent Brenton Easter, Lewis reveals how this discovery led to one of the largest antiquities investigations in recent history.

The episode reconstructs how Hobby Lobby President Steve Green attended a meeting in an apartment in the United Arab Emirates to view thousands of ancient artefacts, despite receiving explicit legal warnings about importing items from Iraq. When boxes of tablets start turning up at US customs addressed to Hobby Lobby stores labelled as craft supplies, investigators uncover an elaborate scheme of false declarations, undervalued items, and payments spread across multiple bank accounts.

As the investigation builds toward a landmark settlement requiring the return of around 3,800 artefacts and a $3 million payment, the episode exposes the complex world of international antiquities trafficking and raises questions about the responsibility of wealthy collectors to verify the origins of their acquisitions.

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

A biblical scholar's dramatic last-minute announcement at a packed debate hints at a fragment that could rewrite history.

On a winter's night in 2012, an extraordinary claim electrifies a university auditorium in North Carolina - the discovery of what could be the earliest known Christian text, written within decades of Jesus's life.

Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how this announcement connects to a meeting one night in an Oxford professor's chambers, where precious gospel fragments were laid out on a pool table.

He uncovers how the Green family's fervent quest for biblical artefacts intersected with the world of elite academia. Their representatives were desperate to buy the four gospel fragments - including one potentially dating to the first century. But as scholars wait years to find out more, questions mount about that fragment in particular and what exactly is the professor's role.

From the gothic halls of Christ Church Oxford to heated debates in American universities, Lewis follows papyrologist-turned-detective Roberta Mazza as she pieces together clues from social media posts, YouTube videos, and academic papers. What she uncovers raises troubling questions about the relationship between wealthy collectors, prestigious scholars, and the verification of sacred texts.

Presented by Ben Lewis

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

A threatening message leads a papyrologist into the shadowy world of online antiquities trading.

On a September morning in 2017, Dr Roberta Mazza opens her WhatsApp to find menacing messages and warnings to "watch her back". How did a respected academic specialising in ancient texts find herself at the crossroads of biblical scholarship and antiquities looting?

Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how Dr Mazza's chance discovery at a Vatican exhibition three years earlier set her on a collision course with one of the world's most ambitious collecting projects. When she spots a rare biblical fragment she'd previously seen listed on eBay, Roberta begins pulling threads that lead from online auction sites to a prestigious museum collection.

Her investigation intensifies as she uncovers connections between anonymous online sellers and the Museum of the Bible's massive acquisition programme. Going undercover to expose the trade in potentially looted artefacts, Roberta finds herself drawn into an increasingly dangerous world where ancient treasures, scholarly research and outright illegality intersect.

Her digital sleuthing uncovers the true identity of a mysterious Turkish dealer - and his possible connections to the museum's inner circle. But her determination to expose the truth comes at a personal cost, as threats escalate and she realises she may have waded too deep into dangerous waters.

Presented by Ben Lewis

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

In July 2017, Dr Jeff Kloha is preparing to start his dream job as Director of Collections at Washington DC's new Museum of the Bible when he discovers his new employer’s biggest donor has been caught up in a government investigation.

The donor, Hobby Lobby, has been ordered to return 3,500 artefacts and pay a $3 million settlement.

Through exclusive interviews with museum officials and evangelical scholars, investigative journalist Ben Lewis pieces together the extraordinary story of how the Green family - owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire - embarked on an unprecedented collecting spree of biblical treasures. Their ambitious mission: to create a museum showcasing the Bible's history through ancient objects.

But as Lewis discovers, their rush to acquire 40,000 items in just three years would bring them into the orbit of a complex network of antiquities dealers in problematic ways.

And it sparks a scholar turned super sleuth to start asking questions…

This episode has been edited since broadcast.

Presented by Ben Lewis

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

A billionaire family's mission to amass ancient biblical treasures leads to them getting caught up in an international web of looted artefacts, forgeries and criminal networks.

Art sleuth Ben Lewis uncovers how the Green family - owners of America's Hobby Lobby craft stores - spent millions racing to gather biblical manuscripts and artefacts. Their unprecedented collecting spree - 40,000 items in just three years - triggers a government investigation and alarms biblical scholars worldwide.

When papyrologist Roberta Mazza begins questioning the collection's origins, she finds herself drawn into an investigation stretching from the Vatican City through Istanbul to Oxford University’s hallowed halls. Through exclusive access to key players, Lewis reveals how thousands of allegedly looted treasures were smuggled into America labelled as "ceramic tiles", whilst priceless items like ancient Babylonian tablets and early Christian manuscripts were acquired through suspicious means.

As investigators close in and scholars expose forgeries, the story expands beyond looted antiquities to raise profound questions about faith, power and cultural heritage. A respected Oxford professor stands accused of betrayal, federal agents demand the return of prized possessions, and the museum's ambitious mission becomes entangled in the dark world of international antiquities trafficking.

From Washington D.C. to the Vatican City, this is a story about what happens when religious certainty meets the dangerous world of ancient treasures.

Presented by Ben Lewis

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela introduces Extreme: Peak Danger.

A mountain of trouble.

In August 2008, around 30 climbers took on K2. Over 2 disastrous days, 11 of those people would lose their lives. This is the story of what really happened.

Sitting on the border between China and Pakistan, K2 is a perfect pyramid that pierces through the clouds. It looks like a kid’s drawing of a mountain…but this terrifying peak is anything but child’s play.

Newlyweds Cecilie Skog and her husband Rolf Bae loved climbing mountains almost as much as they loved one another. In the summer of 2008, they embarked on a honeymoon like no other, when they decided to climb K2. What happened next would change their lives and the lives of everyone around them…forever.

A devastating avalanche scatters high altitude climbers across K2’s steep slopes. Life and death rescue missions quickly get underway. Who can be saved… before time runs out?

Historian and podcaster Natalia Mehlman Petrzela returns with a sky-high story of human vs nature, and of survival against all the odds.

What does it really take to push yourself to the brink of human possibility? How does it feel to stand with the whole world at your feet? And is it ever worth risking death… in order to feel alive?

Peak Danger is Season 2 of Extreme, the BBC podcast about those who chase the impossible... who strive for superhuman status and refuse to accept that life has any limits. Every season tells an unforgettable, action-packed story about people who’ve pushed their minds and bodies to the very edge – but at what cost?

Host and Executive Producer: Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

More than half a century after Muriel McKay's abduction and murder, her body has never been found. This final episode explores the various theories about Muriel's fate - from a beach burial to a gruesome disposal on the farm. New information emerges, including a shocking claim from Arthur Hosein about Muriel's burial site.

The McKay family continues their desperate search for answers, while grappling with the media's relentless interest in the case. Jane MacSorley reflects on the role of the press in keeping Muriel's story alive and the ethical implications of true crime reporting.

Amid the speculation and theories, Muriel's children share poignant memories of their mother, bringing her to life beyond the tragic circumstances of her death.

Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.

One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.

Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar

A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4

The trial of Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein for Muriel McKay's murder begins in September 1970. Despite the lack of a body, prosecutors build a strong case using forensic evidence. Nizamodeen makes limited admissions, while Arthur spins wild tales.

The brothers are found guilty, but the verdict brings little comfort to the McKay family. For decades, they struggle with unresolved grief and unanswered questions about Muriel's fate.

Then, in 2021, Nizamodeen resurfaces in Trinidad, seemingly ready to reveal the truth. The family, desperate for closure, engages with him. Nizamodeen claims Muriel died of a heart attack and indicates where he buried her. His story divides the family – some believe him, others are sceptical. A police search based on his information gets underway...

Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.

One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.

Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar

A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4

After weeks of dead ends, police finally have a breakthrough in Muriel McKay's kidnapping case. A suspicious blue Volvo leads them to Rooks Farm in rural Hertfordshire. As they raid the property, they find mounting evidence implicating brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein. But there's still no sign of Muriel herself.

As detectives interrogate the brothers, a disturbing picture emerges of their backgrounds and possible motives. Meanwhile, the search of the sprawling farmland intensifies. Police are now certain they won't find Muriel alive, but can they find enough evidence to bring a murder charge without a body? The press descend on the scene, complicating the investigation. As the case builds, the question remains - what has happened to Muriel McKay?

Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.

One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.

Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar

A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4

After weeks of agonising negotiations, Muriel McKay's kidnapper finally agrees to collect a ransom. The police see their chance to catch M3 and rescue Muriel. They devise an elaborate plan, with undercover officers posing as Muriel's family members, to make the drop.

Have they finally out-manoeuvred the elusive M3?

Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.

One winter's night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch's wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.

Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar

A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4