Posted on 02/23/2007 5:50:36 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
The cave in which Jesus Christ was buried has been found in Jerusalem, claim the makers of a new documentary film.
If it proves true, the discovery, which will be revealed at a press conference in New York Monday, could shake up the Christian world as one of the most significant archeological finds in history.
The coffins which, according to the filmmakers held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene will be displayed for the first time on Monday in New York.
Jointly produced by Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and Oscar winning director James Cameron, the film tells the exciting and tortuous story of the archaeological discovery.
The story starts in 1980 in Jerusalem’s Talpiyot neighborhood, with the discovery of a 2,000 year old cave containing ten coffins. Six of the ten coffins were carved with inscriptions reading the names: Jesua son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Matthew, Jofa (Joseph, identified as Jesus’ brother), Judah son of Jesua (Jesus’ son - the filmmakers claim).
Decades of research
The findings in the cave, including the decipherment of the inscriptions, were first revealed about ten years ago by internationally renowned Israeli archeologist Professor Amos Kloner.
Since their discovery, the caskets were kept in the Israeli Antiquities Authority archive in Beit Shemesh, but now two have been sent to New York for their first public exhibition.
Although the cave was discovered nearly 30 years ago and the casket inscriptions decoded ten years ago, the filmmakers are the first to establish that the cave was in fact the burial site of Jesus and his family.
The film, which documents the stages of the discovery, is the result of three years labor and research. It will be broadcast on the international Discovery Channel, Britain's Channel 4, Canada’s Vision and Israel’s Channel 8, which also took part in the film's production.
According to the filmmakers, the film’s claim is based on close work with world-famous scientists, archeologists, statisticians, DNA specialists and antiquities experts.
You may recall that after the 4th Century there was a great market for religious articles, Christian ones in particular. The "True Cross" the handkerchief of Veronica, ect ect.
Later, during the Crusades, "the lance that pierced Jesus' side" was discovered, based on a strong need, and a "vision", but recent tests showing it dated to the 11th century. The "Grail" was discovered, but pawned to finance some venture, and now lives in Spain.
Of course, I think the archeologists are being careful, and bringing out the information very slowly.
I personally believe that Paul's letters point to a philisophical Jesus, which some didn't think would fly, so they used Mark's cover story for the special recipe for the magic Mushroom as the basis for inventing a physical Jesus, per John Allegro's book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross".
In many ways Jesus was a modernization of the Mithra cult that got a great bonus when the pole star moved from Taurus, thus slaying "the great bull". Someone was moving the heavens, and Mithra was as good an explanation as any.
Joseph Smith Jr, in like manner, made up his holy books based on the fictional manuscript he stole when hired as a well digger.
Islam? The Quran was written hundreds of years after Mohammed, and they put in what would justify the recent bout of Arab agression. Alas, high taxes had made the Eastern Roman empire poor and weak, and battles over religious orthodoxy had made many look to Islam (which had no holy book to fight over as yet!) as the next best thing to liberation.
Your mileage may vary.
Have the relics performed any miracles? Say, smiting the archaeologists with leprosy, or something similar, like making the lame to see? If yes, then they are genuine articles, and if not - then bogus.
I believe they used ossuaries, didn't they?
His coffin in in Medina, inside a Mosque. You can find it on Google earth.
What is missing is the great sense of virtue which drove him at age 52 to consumate his latest marriage with a 9 year old.
Folks have been trying to disprove the ressurection ever since it happened, and have not been able to substantiate any of their claims.
Son of 'Da Vinci Code'.
"For some reason I thought they would talk about what was in the coffins."
That was the first question that popped in my mind....are there ANY bodies in the coffins.....?
In some circumstances, I believe so.
Who cares, He's alive!
In other news muslims have preemptively begun to smash up the cave and defecate everywhere.
Isn't it more likely they were buried in Galilee? That's where they lived and worked.
Maybe they could get Howie Mandell to say "Ariella, open the case"...
Don't let historical record get in the way of a good story!
I'm wondering when the Christian riots start around the world, the fires, the killings, etc. at this offense to our religion!!!
[crickets chirping]
Similar to the Mormon school of archeology, no doubt.
the ossuary in question was actually inscribed Ya'akov (James) son of Joseph, brother of Jesus
They plan to compare Jesus' DNA to Anna Nicole Smith's baby.
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