Cuneiform tablets, cylinder seals, and clay bullae dating back to 2100-1600 BCE were initially intercepted by customs agents and found to be falsely labeled as tile samples for retailer Hobby Lobby.

The company – whose president, Steve Green is the founder of the Museum of the Bible – agreed last year to surrender the items it received and pay $3 million to settle civil proceedings brought by the US Justice Department.

Court documents revealed the company purchased more than 5,500 artifacts, but has agreed that if it receives any of the remaining items or learns where they are, it will notify the federal government.

However, the privately held Hobby Lobby has insisted the seized artifacts were not intended for the museum.

In a statement, the company said it had been acquiring artifacts “consistent with the company’s mission and passion for the Bible”.

US Attorney Richard Donoghue said US officials “are proud to have played a role in removing these pieces of Iraq’s history from the black market of illegally obtained antiquities and restoring them to the Iraqi people”.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

The relief and developmental agency has encouraged such people to apply for Christian Aid Collective’s special event this summer called the Holy Hack.

Hannah Henderson from the group said: “Christian Aid Collective is a movement for change, challenging the systems that keep people poor.

“So we’re calling 18-35 year old believers to come together for a day and put their skills and faith in action. They’ll hear talks from inspiring activists. They’ll work with others who share their passion for social justice.”

While the event will have a relaxed atmosphere with worship and food, there are hopes that after some collaboration the attendees will come up with an innovative way to fight against global poverty.

“From civil rights to fair trade, the Church has a rich heritage of fighting for the rights of others and now it’s a new generation’s turn to pick up the torch,” Henderson added.

The event will take place on 2nd June 2018 in central London. Applications can be submitted through Christian Aid Collective’s website. The charity is looking for 72 people. 

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo spoke to reporters on Wednesday after spending five days with the pope at his Vatican hotel.

Their press conference was broadcast live in Chile, a sign of the unprecedented nature of their hours of meetings with the pope.

Mr Cruz said that during his private encounter with Francis, the pope acknowledged: “I was part of the problem.

“I caused this, and I apologise to you.”

“I believe that he was sincere,” Mr Cruz said.

Mr Cruz said he believed that Francis was simply misinformed about the case of Bishop Juan Barros, whom the three men have long accused of having witnessed and ignored their abuse.

Mr Barros was a protege of the Reverend Fernando Karadima, a charismatic preacher and darling of Chile’s conservative Catholic society who was removed from ministry and sentenced by the Vatican in 2011 to live in penance and prayer for having sexually abused minors.

Mr Barros and other Karadima-trained bishops never acknowledged having witnessed his abuse, even though his victims have long placed them at the scene.

Francis had strongly defended Mr Barros during his January trip to Chile, calling the accusations against him “calumny”.

He claimed to have never heard from victims about Mr Barros, even though he had received in 2015 a letter from Mr Cruz detailing Mr Barros’…

The document said the remains of Stuart Hill were mistakenly identified as those of his brother Jason, before DNA testing detected the error.

Stuart, 30, and Jason, 32, were among five Britons who lost their lives when an Airbus EC130 B4 plummeted into a fireball on 10th February 2018.

Their father, Rev David Hill, a hospital chaplain and former Baptist church leader, described them as “incredibly close” and “always happy”.

A report by the Mohave County medical examiner’s office concluded both the young men suffered burns to 100 per cent of their body, meaning neither was “identifiable by physical features”.

Originally from the seaside town of Worthing, the brothers were on holiday in the United States to celebrate Stuart Hill’s 30th birthday.

Stuart’s 27-year-old girlfriend, Becky Dobson, also died in the incident, as did newlyweds Ellie Milward, from West Sussex, and Jonathan Udall, who originally came from Southampton.

Mr Udall’s parents are suing the tour operator Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters in a wrongful death lawsuit. They are also suing the aircraft’s pilot, who survived the crash, accusing him of negligence.

Jonathan Udall’s parents also claim that fewer people would have died if a crash-resistant fuel tank had been installed. Airbus Helicopters has said more of its aircraft are being built with the…