Mischievous Monks
Furta Sacra
Guest: Patrick Geary, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the Institute for Advanced Study
In Medieval Europe, monks would travel to different monasteries to worship and observe other congregations during the day and break into the tombs of saints at night to commit “furta sacra” or “holy theft.” These relics were brought back to their communities and the thieves were praised for bringing miracles back to their monasteries.
Chasing Cultural Crooks
Guest: Robert K. Wittman, former Senior Investigator and founder, FBI's National Art Crime Team, and author, "Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures"
Art heists aren't always like the movies. In fact, it's the cops who are usually dressed up as the slick, debonaire characters. How they think on their feet to trip up criminals and return priceless treasures to the public.
Apple Detective Searches for Lost Apples
Guest: David Benscoter, "Apple Detective," retired FBI and IRS Criminal Division agent
Benscoter scours the Northwest looking for the thousands of apple varieties that were planted commonly in the 1800s but have all but disappeared today. Along the way, he discovers the heartbreak and success of early European settlers who homesteaded in hopes of making a better life.