Intrigue

A threatening message leads a papyrologist into the shadowy world of online antiquities trading.On a September morning in 2017, Dr Roberta Mazza opens her WhatsApp to find menacing messages and warnings to "watch her back". How did a respected academic specialising in ancient texts find herself at the crossroads of biblical scholarship and antiquities looting?Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how Dr Mazza's chance discovery at a Vatican exhibition three years earlier set her on a collision course with one of the world's most ambitious collecting projects. When she spots a rare biblical fragment she'd previously seen listed on eBay, Roberta begins pulling threads that lead from online auction sites to a prestigious museum collection.Her investigation intensifies as she uncovers connections between anonymous online sellers and the Museum of the Bible's massive acquisition programme. Going undercover to expose the trade in potentially looted artefacts, Roberta finds herself drawn into an increasingly dangerous world where ancient treasures, scholarly research and outright illegality intersect.Her digital sleuthing uncovers the true identity of a mysterious Turkish dealer - and his possible connections to the museum's inner circle. But her determination to expose the truth comes at a personal cost, as threats escalate and she realises she may have waded too deep into dangerous waters.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Story editor: Andrew Dickson Sound design by Richard Courtice Original music composed by Max de Wardener Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-HeronA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.

A billionaire family's mission to amass ancient biblical treasures leads to them getting caught up in an international web of looted artefacts, forgeries and criminal networks.Art sleuth Ben Lewis uncovers how the Green family - owners of America's Hobby Lobby craft stores - spent millions racing to gather biblical manuscripts and artefacts. Their unprecedented collecting spree - 40,000 items in just three years - triggers a government investigation and alarms biblical scholars worldwide.When papyrologist Roberta Mazza begins questioning the collection's origins, she finds herself drawn into an investigation stretching from the Vatican City through Istanbul to Oxford University’s hallowed halls. Through exclusive access to key players, Lewis reveals how thousands of allegedly looted treasures were smuggled into America labelled as "ceramic tiles", whilst priceless items like ancient Babylonian tablets and early Christian manuscripts were acquired through suspicious means.As investigators close in and scholars expose forgeries, the story expands beyond looted antiquities to raise profound questions about faith, power and cultural heritage. A respected Oxford professor stands accused of betrayal, federal agents demand the return of prized possessions, and the museum's ambitious mission becomes entangled in the dark world of international antiquities trafficking.From Washington D.C. to the Vatican City, this is a story about what happens when religious certainty meets the dangerous world of ancient treasures.Presented by Ben Lewis Produced by Clem Hitchcock Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke Commissioning Executive: Tracy WilliamsA TellTale production for BBC Radio 4

The criminal charge sheet against senior Nazi Otto Wachter. Whilst Charlotte Wachter and her children were spending the summer in Zell am See, Otto was in Lemberg overseeing the 'Grosse Aktion' - the mass deportation of Jews to concentration camps. Philippe Sands interviews two Nazi hunters from the US Department of Justice to go through the evidence against Otto. Meanwhile Otto's son Horst continues to maintain his father's innocence. Producer: Gemma Newby Sound design: Neil Churchill Research: James Everest and Lea Main-Klingst Original music by Catrin Finch and Sekou Keita Otto Wachter: Stephen Fry Charlotte Wachter: Laura Linney Other parts by members of the BBC Radio Drama Company

Philippe Sands investigates the mysterious disappearance of senior Nazi Otto Wachter, who was indicted for mass murder. The Ratline is a story of a curious death, political intrigue, spies, Nazi hunters, shadowy forces in the Vatican and a son grappling with the sins of his father. Philippe begins by travelling to a castle outside Vienna to meet an old man who believes his father was murdered, while a voice from the past offers up clues to how it might have happened.Producer: Gemma Newby Sound design: Neil Churchill Research: James Everest and Lea Main-Klingst Original music by Catrin Finch and Sekou Keita

How the murder of British businessman and fixer Neil Heywood changed China. Concluding the true-life tale of sex, death and politics, told by the BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie. As we hear, however, the story isn't over - as one thing you can't predict in China is the past. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

What really happened in the hotel suite in Chongqing? The British businessman and go-between Neil Heywood arrives in Chongqing, where an"iron-blooded" police chief holds sway. The continuing true story of sex, death and Chinese politics, told by the BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard.

The story of the mysterious murder which changed the course of Chinese politics. Carrie Gracie investigates the killing of a British man, Neil Heywood, in Chongqing in 2011, and explores his links to China's up-and-coming power couple. China is gripped by a lurid show trial. Producers: Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell Sound mix by James Beard