James ossuary determined to have been "fake"

Israel Insider ^ | 6/18/2003 | Israel Insider

[Israel Insider]

The Israeli Antiquities Authority announced today that an ancient stone box with the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," was a fake. The authority also determined that a stone tablet bearing the "Joash inscription," with fifteen lines of ancient Hebrew detailing improvements at the Temple, was a forgery. The inscriptions on both items were made "in the modern era." Click here for this breaking story

[camle]

Acording to "excerpts" like the "expert" in the article, this was thought to be hugh, maybe even series.

[Grand Old Partisan]

It means nothing to my faith one way or another, but even if the Jesus part was added later does not mean it is fake. The church atop the tomb was erected several centuries later, and most scholars agree that it is in the right place.

[camle]

accorrding to the "excerpt", the Jesus reference was added aaround 100AD, which is a few generations after the crucifuxion. This would be consistent with the recognition that this is a valuable object and needs to be ideentified by other that verbal lore.

Kinda like autographing a record breaking home run baseball after the game.

[SubSailor]

The inscriptions on both items were made "in the modern era," the Antiquities Authority announced.

In her reports for Israel Insider, Altman, an expert on scripts and an historian of writing systems, wrote that the limestone burial box was "genuine," but the second half of the inscription, with its reference to Jesus, "bears the hallmarks of a fraudulent later addition, probably around the 3rd or 4th centuries, and is questionable to say the least."

Since when is the "3rd or 4th century" considered the modern era?

[Grand Old Partisan]

Yes indeed.

[Paul C. Jesup]

If the Ark of the Covenant was found today, Isreal would declear it a FAKE to prevent a Holy War from erupting in Isreal itself.

[Paul C. Jesup]

They have a lot of reasons to declear in Holy Item found as a fake.

[Paul C. Jesup]

They have a lot of reasons to declear ANY Holy Item found as a fake.

[txzman]

As a reader of Biblical Archaeology Review and other resources, I am very careful with the pronouncement of Israeli experts. There is a strong undercurrent of antagonism and bias (on boths sides) regarding anything that would prove the clear existance of Jesus Christ.

The Joash inscription (originally thought to have come from the Temple Mount excavation dirt brushed aside by Muslims working there) supports references to Solomon's temple in 2 Kings - IMHO is still open to debate.

I wait for clearer news, although none of this affects the truth I know :)

[Zavien Doombringer]

Since when is the "3rd or 4th century" considered the modern era?

Because it was ruled out that it couldn't have been done in the messasoic or Jurasic periods...

[Zavien Doombringer]

Ithe Ark of the Covenant has been found, and you are right...A Holy War would erupt...check out this site.
HTTp://anchorstone.com

[Paul C. Jesup]

Of course anyone who knows about the history of the Ark of the Covenant knows that it would be best to leave that Holy Item alone and stay at least 10 miles away from it. The Ark of the Covenant is probably one of the most dangerious Holy Items in history.

The movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark didn't even scratch the surface of how dangerious this Holy Item is. Just walking up to within ten feet of it can kill you.

It is literally a Act of God waiting to happen in a wooden/gold inlayed box.

[gridlock]

Who needs the Ark of the Covenant. We've made ourselves a new one, don'tcha know.

The Ark of Hope

I wouldn't be caught within half a mile of this thing, for fear of lightning strikes from a clear blue sky...

[MosesKnows]

an ancient stone box with the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," was a fake

Judaism long ago determined that Jesus himself was a fake messiah. The Jewish Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty and demanded that the Romans execute Jesus. As I read this report it appears that The Israeli Antiquities Authority has taken the position that the evidence is fake, not that Jesus, Joseph, or James are fake.

[SauronOfMordor]

I looked at the site. It's proof that the enviro-whackos are their own strange religion: making their own pagan version of the "Ark of the Conenant" and putting the Earth Charter inside

[Glock19C]

This "Ark of Hope" is something I would not have believed we were stupid/arrogant enough to come up with. It sounds like a scenario ready-made for an end-times novel.

[SauronOfMordor]

Since when is the "3rd or 4th century" considered the modern era?

Even if the inscription was added in 3rd or 4th century, the act would be consistent with ensuring that the future would know the significance of who was buried there.

[SauronOfMordor]

Judaism long ago determined that Jesus himself was a fake messiah.

What actually happened was that Judaism split into those who believed in Jesus being the Messiah (the first Messianic Jews) and those who didn't. Modern Judaism comes from those who didn't believe in Jesus. You still get Jews deciding the become Messianic Christians in modern times -- my sister-in-law being one of them

[gridlock]

BTW, There is a Bill in Congress (H.R. 1950) to get the US back into UNESCO. Write your Congresscritter to let them know that you don't support this kind of thing.

One More Month to Block Rejoining UNESCO!