US researcher hoping to discover body of Jesus in Kashmir tomb

Hindustan Times ^ | Monday, March 11, 2002 | Izhar Wani (AFP)

[aculeus]

An American researcher who believes she has found the final resting place of Jesus Christ is campaigning to exhume a body at a Muslim shrine in Kashmir for scientific tests.

Suzanne Marie Olsson, a New York-based researcher is currently in Srinagar, studying the Muslim shrine of Rozabal.

While Muslims say Rozabal houses the tomb of Yuza Asaf, a Muslim saint, many researchers believe it contains the body of Jesus Christ.

To put an end to speculation Olsson has suggested exhuming the remains at Rozabal for DNA testing and carbon dating.

"This will trace him (the saint) to his origin ... and resolve the raging controversy over the identity of the place forever," she told the Sunday edition of Kashmir's leading daily, the Greater Kashmir.

Olsson has already dug up a shrine at the Murree hill station in Pakistan under the supervision of archaeologists Ahmad Hassan Dani and Saida Rahman.

Muree is believed to be the resting place of Jesus' mother, Mary (Marium).

"The exhumed remains have been sent for the DNA testing and the report is awaited," she told the newspaper.

"Now Rozabal holds the key. If the remains there are sent for testing and then tallied with the results of the Murree project, it will either establish the link between the two shrines as being of similar origin and thus authenticate the Marium-Jesus theory or prove it wrong for good."

However, her project has run into trouble with the managers of the Rozabal shrine, who are strongly opposed to its "desecration".

"We will never allow it," said Mohammed Amin, one of the managers.

But Olsson, stressing the "purely scientific nature of her work" and her identity as a "seeker of truth", is pleading to be allowed to "verify the origin and identity of the saint" to put to rest wild speculation.

She has even written to Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for help.

Olsson also believes Moses is buried in Bandipore in north Kashmir, the Islamic prophet Haroun at Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar, and Solomon at Takht-i-Suliaman in Srinagar.

"You have more Christian holy sites than even Egypt or Israel," she said in her appeal to the chief minister.

Olsson says she wants to unravel the truth about the shrines so that the scenic Himalayan region of Kashmir, ravaged by a decade-long Muslim insurgency that has claimed 35,000 lives, can become a pilgrimage centre for Christians and Muslims.

[MaxwellWolf]

I guess God will provide DNA so that it can be matched with Jesus' DNA?!

[shezza]

DNA testing, huh? I don't know how they're going to get a sample from his Dad. Word is He invented the stuff.

[DocCincy]

"Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; for He has risen!"

[stars & stripes forever]

I have news for Susan Olsson. She isn't going find the body of Christ in any tomb. He isn't there! But He's coming soon!

[DouglasKC]

The body of Jesus was converted into a glorified spiritual body according to the bible. They might find a body, but it won't be Jesus's.

[ktupper]

Perhaps someone should tell her to read the first chapter of Acts to find out where His body is....or she can wait a little longer perhaps and see Him coming again.

[.45MAN]

Could this possibly change religious History?

[Lion's Cub]

It's best to keep fools like this occupied, I guess. I do wish they'd put her on a shorter leash, though. We don't need another international "incident" right now.

[ppaul]

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" -- St. Like 24:2-6

[Piquaboy]

Where are they going to find a relative to match DNA with? This is another witch hunt and I wonder how much tax payer money is being used. "He Is Risen"

[wimpycat]

I guess she didn't hear the news. He is not here! Even Muslims believe he was assumed into Heaven (didn't die on the cross), so they wouldn't believe it was Jesus either.

[Destructor]

"To put an end to speculation Olsson has suggested exhuming the remains at Rozabal for DNA testing and carbon dating."

There is NO body! Jesus Christ is risen!! This is more bogus science. Revelations mentions that in the last days there will be a lot of "false prophets" coming out of the woodwork. This is an example.

[calvin sun]

LOL. My very first assignment on a Boy Scout camping trip was to try to find a smoke shifter. This device, when HELD by a campfire, would shift the direction of the smoke away from the person holding it. Actually, my instructions were to find a LEFT-HANDED smoke shifter. My Scoutmasters had to struggle to keep a straight face when I asked them for help.

Wonder if this woman had the same assignment when she was small?

If she's trying to find the dead body of Jesus, she's going to be looking an awfully long time.

[Destructor]

"Could this possibly change religious History?"

Heck no it won't, because it's a lie!!! I suspect this is wishful thinking on your part.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Muree is believed to be the resting place of Jesus' mother, Mary . . many researchers nonchristians believe . . . [the Muslim shrine of Rozabal] . . . contains the body of Jesus Christ.

. . . and they propose to "prove" it by associating DNA sampled from two tombs--the contents of neither of which is truly known . . .

[al_c]

"Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; for He has risen!"

AMEN!

... and a ping

[Intimidator]

There will be no body of Jesus found. He is Risen and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

[xzins]

I've heard that a nearby tomb holds the remains of Jimmy Hoffa. I'm so excited....solving all the mysteries in one fell swoop.

What these guys are all proving is this: Jesus' tomb was empty!

The resurrection is the BEST explanation for the apostles' giving their lives to spread that message.

[Hootowl]

A left-handed smoke shifter? It's called a battery-operated fan and it works in either hand. ;^)