The tablet was then cleaned and it was determined to be a portion of the Gilgamesh epic. by international post without declaring formal entry. The item was dirty and unreadable at that time and was transported to the U.S.

antiquities dealer purchased the tablet from a family member of a coin dealer in London. The government's investigation uncovered that in 2003 a U.S. 'This Office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of looted artifacts.' Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said in a statement Monday. 'This forfeiture represents an important milestone on the path to returning this rare and ancient masterpiece of world literature to its country of origin,' acting Brooklyn U.S. It is currently being stored in Brooklyn, the filing said. On Monday, Brooklyn federal court Judge Ann Donnelly entered an order documenting the handover of the rare cuneiform tablet.

Representatives from Hobby Lobby did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. The arts and crafts company cooperated with the investigation. In a complaint filed in May 2020, prosecutors said the 5-by-6-inch tablet is considered the property of the Iraqi government and should be returned. The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was seized by law enforcement agents from Hobby Lobby's Washington, D.C.-based Museum of the Bible in 2019. A false provenance letter was used to sell the tablet several times before Hobby Lobby purchased the item from a London-based auction house in 2014.

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