The case begins with Norman Golb, Ludwig Rosenberger Professor of Jewish History and Civilization at the University of Chicago. Golb has been a prominent scholar in the controversial field of Dead Sea Scrolls Research. One of his most important contributions was helping to get control of the remaining scrolls away from a handful of scholars who were hoarding them for their own research which was moving at a snail's pace. By the early 1990's this effort was successful.
Jump for the strange part.
Golb was also known for a minority position on the origins of the scrolls. For most of the time since their discovery research has been dominated by the Qumran-Essene hypothesis. This view contends (often assumes, in my opinion) that the scrolls were produced at the archaeological site called Qumran near the shores of the Dead Sea and the caves where most of the scrolls were found. The Essenes are an ancient Jewish sect about which we know relatively little, except for brief descriptions of them in the works of Josephus and Pliny the Elder. I have my own doubts about the Qumran-Essene hypothesis but here is an excellent review of a new book supporting it, The Essenes, The Scrolls, and the Dead Sea by Joan E. Taylor.
Golb argued that the scrolls were produced by scribes in Jerusalem and taken for safe-keeping to the caves before the pending invasion of the Romans in the seventh decade of the first century. I don't agree with Golb's position, and few scholars do, but it is a valid argument in the kind of debate scholars should be having.
Enter Norman Golb's son Raphael, who, in 2008 began a bizarre effort to discredit some of his father's academic opponents. His most high profile target was Lawrence Schiffman, now of Yeshiva University in new York. His efforts included creating false on-line identities for these opponents and publishing material attempting to embarrass and discredit them.
The younger Golb was convicted in 2010, and today some of the counts were upheld and others thrown out by the appellate court. This story has more details.
The state's top court ruled in a Dead Sea Scrolls case Tuesday — and struck down a law that's often used against stalkers and domestic abusers.
A significant portion of the second-degree aggravated harassment law, relating to phone calls, emails and other kinds of communication "in a manner likely to cause annoyance or alarm," is invalid under the New York State Court of Appeals ruling that stems from a case against Dead Sea Scrolls enthusiast Raphael Golb.
The judges said they "conclude that (the law) is unconstitutional under both the state and federal Constitutions, and we vacate defendants' convictions on these counts."
They sided with a case brought by Golb's attorney, Ron Kuby, saying: "We agree with defendant that this statute is constitutionally vague and over broad."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/...
The case is likely to have broader implications for the kinds of on-line activity protected by the First Amendment.