Geologist resurrects Jesus family tomb spat

World Net Daily ^ | April 6, 2015

[concernedcitizen76]

(NBC NEWS) A long-running archaeological controversy has been resurrected, thanks to a newly revealed analysis of scrapings from a first-century tomb in East Jerusalem and a bone box attributed to “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The analysis, described on Easter Sunday in The New York Times and the Jerusalem Post, links the limestone box (also known as an ossuary) to the tomb — which in turn has been linked to Jesus’ family story.

Both the box and the tomb have previously created media sensations: In 2004, Israeli authorities charged antiquities dealer Oded Golan with forging the “Jesus inscription” on the bone box, but the dealer was acquitted in 2012 after drawn-out legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, in 2007, a TV documentary titled “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” claimed that the tomb could have been the burial spot for Jesus and his family, based on a statistical analysis of the genealogical relationships between the names listed in the inscriptions.

[concernedcitizen76]

Not sure if this article has been posted.

[M Kehoe]

Welcome to FR.

5.56mm

[concernedcitizen76]

It seems the UK Independent had this story, as well. Here’s their take.

“While the results are likely to rekindle the debate surrounding the possible remains of Jesus, they are still far from accepted in scientific circles. The collector who owns the James ossuary told the Times Dr Shimron’s work determines nothing “conclusively”, while other Jerusalem archaeologists say they await its publication in a peer-reviewed journal.”

[M Kehoe]

“While the results are likely to rekindle the debate surrounding the possible remains of Jesus,

There is no "debate." However, maybe the remains of His kin?

5.56mm

[concernedcitizen76]

It seems they found a 1st century burial box for bones from the 1st century that reads: “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus.”

But it may or may not be a fake. It’s not an easy story to follow, so I don’t know. lol

[concernedcitizen76]

If it Jesus’s brother James, mentioned in the NT, in the box that would be amazing. Maybe they could do a DNA analysis.

[faithhopecharity]

I’ve always wanted to believe this story but the collector they mention has a very chequered history of including some fakes in his stuff

not sure.

[boycott]

But it may or may not be a fake. It’s not an easy story to follow, so I don’t know. lol

---

That is sort of how I viewed it.

[faithhopecharity]

you may like this brief summary (just skip over their incessent adverts)

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/james-brother-of-jesus-the-forgery-trial-of-the-century/

[stylin19a]

what would the DNA be compared to ?

[JPII Be Not Afraid]

http://www.truthguard.com/Articles/the-lost-tomb-of-jesus-hoax-a23.html

[Fai Mao]

“what would the DNA be compared to ?”

Easy question
Modern day Jews because

Because the genealogy of Jesus makes him the lawful king of Israel. Since he died childless then the descendants of his brother James would have a valid claim to Davids’ throne.

[Politicalkiddo]

“Because the genealogy of Jesus makes him the lawful king of Israel”

The Jews have never have accepted Jesus as King. Some claim he never existed.

[Swordmaker]

It seems they found a 1st century burial box for bones from the 1st century that reads: “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus.”

All three of those names were common in 1st Century Jerusalem. . . but the name Jeshua was actually added to the ossuary and was not carved contemporaneously with the other inscriptions. Even though the antiquities dealer was acquitted, he had other antiquities in his workshop when arrested in the process of being faked. . . including having inscriptions being added to old items.

Here is an interesting analysis of the inscription on the James Ossuary by a specialist in ancient Aramaic.

The two different types of Aramaic Script on the James Ossuary — the script on the left was added by someone who doesn't know Aramaic.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SCRIPTS?

1. The first part is correctly spelled. The second part is not correctly spelled. Depending on how you chose to interpret certain letters of the second part, they are either incorrectly done or the sentence is misspelled. Two letters – d (dalet) in “brother of” and Y in “Jesus” – are done incorrectly. And even if you presuppose that the letters should be d and Y, the sentence is grammatically wrong.

2. To be able to write in a straight line, one or two scribe lines were often drawn, on the top and the bottom respectively. The first part follows a straight line (apart from the last letters, which correctly drops). If these imaginary scribe lines are extended, the letters of the second part are below the lines.

3. The letters of the first half are of the same size, while the letters of the second half differs from both the letters of the first half and each other.

4. The letters of the first part are correctly formed with straight lines and square corners, while the letters of the second part often are curved.

5. There are wedges (serifs) on some of the letters of the first half (those that should have) while there are no wedges on any letters of the second half (though there should have been on some).

6. “The spacing of the first part … is extremely accurate. In Antiquity, texts were written as-spoken. The first part is written correctly in sound-bites: iA cov bAR io sEf and the second part is written in a continuous stream achoiiashoua.

7. Not only is the first correctly written, but it is also correctly stressed. The final pe [in Joseph] drops because the voice drops at the end when the words are spoken.”, Rochelle Altman

8. This final pe is also extended. This is a(n) “end of text”-marker, and it shows that the original inscription said "James, son of Joseph”.

9. The second part (achwydyshwa) begins at the same height as the last letter of the first inscription (yaqwvbrywsf). However, the last letter of the first inscription was correctly lowered, as it would have been done. And if the same person did the entire inscription at the same time, he (or she) should have begun the achwydyshwa-inscription at the same height as the second last letter of the first inscription.

   The spelling was done something like this: yaqwvbryws_fachwydyshwa

   when it should have been done something like this: yaqwvbrywsfachwydyshwa

   “If this had been written at the same time. or even shortly after, the starting stroke of the aleph would have been at the same height as the samekh, bets, and the ayin-iod of Ya'acov. It is not. The starting stroke of the aleph erroneously begins at the same height as the correctly lowered peh.”, Rochelle Altman

   “The script of the second part is a conglomeration of unrelated graphs from across the centuries and not a coherent script design. This peculiar diversity suggests that the writer chose graphs from examples on other ossuaries and documents stored in a cave or dug out tomb.”,

   “The wedges also indicate that Jacob ben Josef lived and died during the age of Herod.” Rochelle Altman, Final Report on the James Ossuary, Rochelle Altman, Final Report on the James Ossuary

   According to Rochelle Altman, the writer of the first part spoke fluid Aramaic and was fully literate, while it is doubtful whether the writer of the second part knew Aramaic at all.

[Swordmaker]

Shroud of Turin Ping to thread on the post just above this one debunking the Jesus Ossuary and through that debunking the Jesus Family Tomb. . . which this thread is about.

If you want on or off the Shroud of Turin Ping list, Freepmail me.

[21twelve]

Interesting stuff. Although as detailed as it is - I’m guessing they forgot to tell us that Aramaic is written from right to left!?

[HiTech RedNeck]

The same thicket of questions arises as for other challenges to the classic Resurrection.

Why would Jesus’ family want to sustain a story that meant a huge amount of controversy and trouble. It would have been a lot easier on them to put the story to rest, if worldly standards are any guide.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Which it is. Also James and Jacob are considered the same name.

[Dr. Ursus]

Golan has been debunked as a faker.

[NYer]

Thank you, Swordmaker, for the well researched and cogent response to this thread. Twice a year, the msm use key christian holy days to publish baseless articles intended to arouse doubt in followers of Jesus Christ.

Imagine the reaction if they were to try a similar tactic with Mohammad.