Experts call Biblical artifact a fake

USA Today ^ | 06/18/03 | Associated Press

[bedolido]

JERUSALEM (AP)

[drjimmy]

Israel's Antiquities Authority missed a chance to generate much good will over this issue. Had it said the matter sparks such deeply held religious response it would not take a stand one way or the other, Christians everywhere would have applauded the kindness shown their faith. While most Christians will probably accept the Authority finding, there will always be some who hold a grudge. That could have been easily avoided.
It's like FreeRepublic has morphed into Democratic Underground, where seeking and telling the truth are less important than not hurting someone's feelings.

[mdmathis6]

Well I HAVE MET people who think Jesus was just a myth;(beleive it or not, not most Jewish folk I have known...most of them hold that he existed though most don't see him in a favorable light). It's mostly unchurched secularist scientific types or those who live a worldly, "for the moment lifestyle" that view any type of religious belief as myth and the historicity of Jesus as suspect. You seem to be in a cirle of aquaintances who at least recognize that there must be a little historical fire causing "all the smoke" where Jesus is concerned.

[BrooklynGOP]

For most today that is certainly true. But there is a long history of Jews questioning more than that about Jesus Christ,

Does that article claim that Jesus never existed?

[BrooklynGOP]

I'm mainly curious as to the sensitivity you are displaying to a poster who who thought there might be an agenda on the part of the box examiners or not. What do you think this poster might have been implying?

If you go back to the beginning of the thread you'll see that I was curious as well. Hence I asked (time and time again): What agenda?

[BrooklynGOP]

Did Jesus of Nazerath claim to be the messiah?

That's irrelevant for the purposes of this discussion.

[DPB101]

Does that article claim that Jesus never existed?

You didn't read it? Your claim was that the "only" question was if Jesus was the messiah. The Toledoth Yeshu, among other Jewish writings, proves that is not the historical case.

[DPB101]

It's like FreeRepublic has morphed into Democratic Underground, where seeking and telling the truth are less important than not hurting someone's feelings.

It can't be that bad!...lol

From the outside any faith can be made to appear to be wrong-headed and even risible. Anyone could pick apart what Buddhists, Jews, Moslems and anyone else believe. If Christians want to believe this ossuary is real, so what? Why pick a fight over it?

Personally, I like people to have religious relics they think about often. Takes their minds off wondering who they can vote for who will give them stuff which belongs to me.

[BrooklynGOP]

You didn't read it?

Sorry. At work.

Your claim was that the "only" question was if Jesus was the messiah. The Toledoth Yeshu, among other Jewish writings, proves that is not the historical case.

Does the article deny that Jesus existed?

[rwfromkansas]

Of course.

[rwfromkansas]

One dating finding was mentioned in the article that dates it earlier.

[BrooklynGOP]

Of course.

Interesting. So you admit that Mohammed exists - but you deny that he was a prophet. Same goes for Jews. We admit that Jesus existed, but we deny that he is was the messiah. Let's assume this box to be authentic. Does it prove that Jesus existed? Sure. But Jews already admit that. Does it prove that he was more then a regular guy? Not really. Hence, it doesn't matter to us if its authentic or not. If anything, its authenticity would boost tourism to Israel. Heck, I bet Israel would love to net a bunch of items that can be traced to Jesus - imagine what that would do to the tourim industry :).

[reflecting]

you guys are missing the real deal here ... it is not in the interest of the jews to disprove the ossuary.....IT IS IN the interest of the Roman Catholics to make it a fake.....

[Mark17]

That's irrelevant for the purposes of this discussion.

Whatever.

[BrooklynGOP]

IT IS IN the interest of the Roman Catholics to make it a fake.....

Uhmm.. How so?

[BrooklynGOP]

Oooops, excuse all those mistakes ("exists" = existed, etc.). I am at work and have a dozen windows open.

[rwfromkansas]

I don't know, I think the sensation surrounding it would make life in Israel worse if it was confirmed to be real, despite some tourism boost (hey, Israel is great to visit...I really enjoyed the Dead Sea and was lucky to go with a group so it was pretty low-cost compared to what it would normally cost to go). The sensation caused by the thing the first time makes me believe perhaps the Israelis would want to keep it under wraps if it was real. Possibly not though.

But, after thinking some more, it appears that the previous studies did NOT examine the patina....at least I think. It appears they looked at the aging of the box itself and not the writing. If so, the Israeli study may be correct.

I would hope we can get some further testing done.

If it is fake, oh well. It doesn't change my faith any.

[rwfromkansas]

Yes.

I am a Prot and don't believe that silly nonsense.

[rwfromkansas]

good point

[reflecting]

RC have a tradition that Mary died a virgin....thus she had no other children ... IF James was The Brother of The Jesus..well the RCs have a little problem....