Experts call Biblical artifact a fake

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

[rwfromkansas]

Sorry Israelis, but you have an agenda as Jews to disprove this.

I am skeptical of your work on this.

Other findings contradict yours.

[rwfromkansas]

Your Jewish faith explains your refusal to see the obvious agenda of the Israelis here.

[rwfromkansas]

If you saw the sensation the artifact caused on the news when found, you would know why the Israelis had to disprove this.

[rwfromkansas]

Nobody denies that Jesus existed?

Are you high?

[drjimmy]

While I am not an Israeli, I do have a couple of questions.

Sorry Israelis, but you have an agenda as Jews to disprove this.
To disprove what?

I am skeptical of your work on this. Other findings contradict yours.
Whose findings?

[Mark17]

I would feel pretty bad for Joseph, her husband, if she did.

LOL, yes, it would be a rather unfulfilling marriage wouldn't it? After the birth of Jesus, they had a normal married life, including other children, who did not believe in Him till later.

[DPB101]

Always a mistake for people of one religion to declare the relics of another a fake. Everybody does it and this could very well be a fake but Israel would have been better served by remaining--officially--silent. Israelis in the private sector could have made the case.

[Mark17]

Did they deny that he existed?

I have had many discussions with Jews, and to the best of my knowledge, not one has ever denied the existence of Jesus of Nazerath.

[BrooklynGOP]

Those whose faith is securely in place, who believe Jesus was The Word Incarnate, will not - should not change their beliefs whether the thing is or isn't authentic.

Exactly. Hence I say there is no agenda here.

[BrooklynGOP]

Your Jewish faith explains your refusal to see the obvious agenda of the Israelis here.

Do you deny that Mohammed existed because you are Christian?

[BrooklynGOP]

Are you high?

We'll see who's high. Did Mohammed exist?

[BrooklynGOP]

I think you must be pretty naive to believe that secularism is not a religion.

Irrelevant. What does this have to do with the authenticity of the box?

[BrooklynGOP]

Well some still doubt his existence or if he existed,

I haven't met *anyone* who doubts that he existed.

they doubt that he did the miracles or was even crucified the way it was claimed.

Miracles is a different story however. But given that the box doesn't prove or disprove his divinity then I see no religous agenda.

[BrooklynGOP]

Your Jewish faith explains your refusal to see the obvious agenda of the Israelis here.

Apparently the agenda is not obvious enough. What does my faith have to do with it? If this box *is* in fact authentic what does that prove? That Jesus existed? Yea, we already know that. Does it prove that he was a messiah? No. So, what agenda?

[Mark17]

Does it prove that he was a messiah?

Did Jesus of Nazerath claim to be the messiah?

[berserker]

Israeli Consul General Meir Romem inspects damage to the James Ossuary during its media unveiling at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada in this Nov. 14, 2002 file picture. The ancient burial box purported to have held the bones of Jesus' brother James is a fake, Israel's Antiquities Authority said Wednesday June 18, 2003. (AP Photo/Frank Gunn)

[berserker]

An inscription in Hebrew reading 'Ya'acov', the Hebrew name for James, is seen on an ancient box used to bury human bones, or ossuary, in this undated but recent handout photo made available in Jerusalem, Wednesday, June 18, 2003 from the Israel Antiquities Authority. An inscription on the ossuary reading 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus'' purporting to link the ancient box to Jesus' brother, James, is a modern day forgery with no link to New Testament figures, the Authority said Wednesday. (AP Photo/HO, Israel Antiquities Authority)

[DPB101]

The only question is wether he was the messiah.

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

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.

[mdmathis6]

Well I don't necessarily care if there was an agenda or not..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? I told you what I thought about this box, what do you think? Was he intimating at a conspiracy or what?

[usastandsunited]

Did Jesus of Nazerath claim to be the messiah?

Yes, he did.
Does everyone believe Jesus is the Messiah ? No.
Do I believe Jesus is the Messiah. Yes.
If the artifact is a fake, will it discredit that ? No.
If the artifact is authenic, will it prove it ? No.