New controversy at the British Museum over relics stolen from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Since the end of the 19th century, the famous London museum has kept several tabots, sacred objects which can only be observed by priests.

Is the British Museum hiding information about relics stolen from Ethiopia? An administrative investigation has been launched across the Channel concerning these tablets sacred to Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. The most famous English museum refuses to communicate on the subject and does not respond to any requests.

The tabot is a sacred object, presented as a replica of tables of the Lawon which are inscribed the ten commandments of the Bible. For the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia, he embodies the presence of God. So sacred that it must be covered with cloth, only priests can see it. At the end of the 19th century, British soldiers stole eleven. They ended up at the British Museum where they have never been exhibited. Respecting the instructions of the Church, the museum keeps them in a place where no one can see them, not even staff or researchers.

“No one will miss them.”

In these conditions, why not return them? This is the question activists are asking. They get no answer so they turn to an administrative body, the information commissioner. “No one will miss them since no one is ever allowed to see them”the complainants are indignant.

The prestigious museum is going through a complicated period after the proven theft and resale of works for which it was responsible. A scandal which cost the director his place. And many countries regularly demand the return of relics. Chile, Greece, Benin, among others, believe they have been stolen and want to recover remains or objects.

Founded in 1753, the British Museum houses a collection of eight million objects, including the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon friezes, acquired during the colonial era and claimed by Greece.
The institution, whose visit is free, represents the most popular tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, with 5.8 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 42% compared to the previous year, according to the association of the sector.