ddc101
04-13-2003, 10:58 PM
By Hershel Shanks
The recent discovery of an ancient burial box bearing the inscription"James,son of Joseph,bother of Jesus " raised a scholarly storm and has excited interest around the world.Now there is no question that the stone box comes from the first century.Experts agree that the writing is authentic.Geological examination has shown it coannot be a modern forgery.But is this James the one the New Testament refers to as the brother of the Lord? All three names--James,Joseph,Jesus were common at the time.But the odds that they would appear in this order would apply to only between four and 20 people in Jerusalem then.Where is the ossuary now?Following its initial public exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Totonto late last year, the ossuary was shipped back to Jerusalem in March and returned to its owner, Oded Golan.
The ossuary is currently on loan at the Israel Antiquities Authority
in Jerusalem and is undergoing even more tests by paleographic and linguistic scholoars as well as geologists.Their new findings are expected to be released in June.
Americans may get to see for themselves: The Israeli government is considering allowing the ossuary to come to this country for a museum tour.In the meantime, Golan has said he may allow DNA testing on the bone fragments found in the ossuary.This remarkable story has just begun..
The recent discovery of an ancient burial box bearing the inscription"James,son of Joseph,bother of Jesus " raised a scholarly storm and has excited interest around the world.Now there is no question that the stone box comes from the first century.Experts agree that the writing is authentic.Geological examination has shown it coannot be a modern forgery.But is this James the one the New Testament refers to as the brother of the Lord? All three names--James,Joseph,Jesus were common at the time.But the odds that they would appear in this order would apply to only between four and 20 people in Jerusalem then.Where is the ossuary now?Following its initial public exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Totonto late last year, the ossuary was shipped back to Jerusalem in March and returned to its owner, Oded Golan.
The ossuary is currently on loan at the Israel Antiquities Authority
in Jerusalem and is undergoing even more tests by paleographic and linguistic scholoars as well as geologists.Their new findings are expected to be released in June.
Americans may get to see for themselves: The Israeli government is considering allowing the ossuary to come to this country for a museum tour.In the meantime, Golan has said he may allow DNA testing on the bone fragments found in the ossuary.This remarkable story has just begun..