Case file · Folklore / legend
The Lead Books of Sacromonte
Between 1595 and 1599 treasure hunters on Granada's Sacromonte hill found lead tablets in strange script, said to be first-century Christian texts by Arab disciples of St James.
1595 CE · 37.18, -3.58 · status: hoax
The account
They were probably forged by Morisco scholars (Alonso del Castillo and Miguel de Luna are suspected) to reconcile Arabic culture with Catholicism. Rome condemned them as forgeries in 1682.