The Lost Tomb of Jesus Found?

[hollister]

Has the DNA of Jesus Christ been found?

That tantalizing question underpins The Lost Tomb of Jesus — a new book and feature documentary film with potentially profound implications for Christianity.

The two provocative works suggest that ossuaries once containing the bones of Jesus of Nazareth and his family are now stored in a warehouse belonging to the Israel Antiquity Authority in Bet Shemesh, outside Jerusalem.

Although the evidence contained in the film and book is hardly definitive, it is compelling. Inscribed in Hebrew, Latin or Greek, six boxes — taken from a 2,000-year-old cave discovered in March, 1980, during excavation for a housing project in Talpiyot, south of Jerusalem — bear the names: Yeshua (Jesus) bar Yosef (son of Joseph); Maria (the Latin version of Miriam, which is the English Mary); Matia (the Hebrew equivalent of Matthew, a name common in the lineage of both Mary and Joseph); Yose; (the Gospel of Mark refers to Yose as a brother of Jesus); Yehuda bar Yeshua, or Judah, son of Jesus; and in Greek, Mariamne e mara — meaning 'Mariamne, known as the master.' According to Harvard professor Francois Bovon, interviewed in the film, Mariamne was Mary Magdalene's real name.

The bones once contained in the boxes have long since been reburied, according to Jewish custom — in unmarked graves in Israel.

If the evidence adduced is correct, the bone boxes — and microscopic remains of DNA still contained inside — would constitute the first archaeological evidence of the existence of the Christian saviour and his family.

Tests on mitochondrial DNA obtained from the Jesus and Mariamne boxes and conducted at Lakehead University's Paleo-DNA laboratory, in Thunder Bay, Ont., show conclusively that the two individuals were not maternally related. According to Dr. Carney Matheson, the lab's head, this likely means they were related by marriage.

Thus, the book and film raise seminal questions, not only about the early movement of Judeo-Christians that Jesus led, but about whether, as some scholars believe, he might have been married to Mary Magdalene and fathered a family.

Nothing in the film or book challenges traditional Christian dogma regarding the resurrection. But it could pose a problem for those that believe Jesus' ascension, 40 days after the resurrection, was both physical and spiritual. And, if further DNA testing were to link Jesus and Yose with Mary, it would call into question the entire doctrine of the Virgin Birth.

rest of the article at
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070224.wlosttomb0224/BNStory/Front/home

or at tinyurl.com/274t7n

[george]

Absolutley fasinating Hollister. Can't understand if this was discovered in 1980 then why did it take 27 years for it to come out. Wheather this is true or not cannot be verified. I however believe thru science and discoveries much more will be known about Jesus life. And i think think it will turn the Christian world upside down.

[leslie]

As with George where is the real proof that there ever was a holy Jesus, only possibly a good manthat the ancient writers built up inyo something he was not. There is ony one Almighty Lord and that is God - the rest could just be imaginary stories.Leslie

[hollister]

Some interesting follow up

benwitherington.blogspot.com/

a teaser from the article that is worth the read

"2) there is no independent DNA control sample to compare to what was garnered from the bones in this tomb. By this I mean that the most the DNA evidence can show is that several of these folks are inter-related. Big deal. We would need an independent control sample from some member of Jesus' family to confirm that these were members of Jesus' family. We do not have that at all. In addition mitacondrial DNA does not reveal genetic coding or XY chromosome make up anyway. They would need nuclear DNA for that in any case. So the DNA stuff is probably thrown in to make this look more like a real scientific fact. Not so much."

[gardenmoma]

So the DNA stuff is probably thrown in to make this look more like a real scientific fact. Not so much...

The poster from Blogspot that Holly quoted above is "spot on." Mitrochondrial DNA contains maternal DNA...does not show paternity...can indicate maternal lineage only.

As to why it took so long for these antiquities to be brought to light...the "infighting" over Israeli and biblical antiquities is unreal! I use to subscribe to several Biblical Archaelogy publications (before the heyday of the internet) and finally ceased subscriptions because most space was taken up with this "infighting" especially over the Dead Sea Scrolls.

GM

[leslie]

Surely this confirms if the evidence is true, that there may have been a man called Jesus, but what happened to the non-man who had a resurrection and his rising back up to the Father? I suppose that will be answered by 'that was his soul that went back'.
The whole account is very suspicious and I go along with the question about why it has taken so long for this to come to light.
Leslie

[joanzaniskey]

This site should be more controversial than the Gay priests and soldiers. For me, the jury is still out.
Joan

[jimpres]

Look at the articles that came out of Roswell and the alians of 1947. Still on the talking circuit.
I am suspicious of those finds that do not come out immediately. i'm sure plenty of books will be written
and money made over this topic.

Jim

[joanzaniskey]

Jim and all,to be sure the bottom line today whether evidence is valid or a hoax is money.
Joan

[jimpres]

And as always.

This week “Titanic” director James Cameron and Canadian television director, Simcha Jacobovici stood proudly at the New York City library to announce the release of a new book and documentary called “The Tomb of Jesus.” They claim to have uncovered the remains of Jesus and his family, including Mary Magdalene, (Jesus’ supposed wife) and their child, Judah.

If he were honest, this is what Mr. Cameron would have said to the press:

“My dearest friends in the media,

Thank you for being here. I must admit, I am pleasantly surprised so many of you have come. Our public relations company had quite the challenge to convince you our commercial projects were headline-worthy. After all, what we are peddling is pseudo-science based on old and discredited news. But we obviously hired the right company. They came through on their promise that you wouldn’t remember, or wouldn’t care, that when this tomb was discovered twenty seven years ago, the Jewish archeologist in charge of the investigation, Amos Kloner, determined it was not the tomb of Jesus and his family and that, in fact, it is unlikely Jesus and his relatives even had a family tomb. To think that not a single respected archeologist from the Holy Land region is willing to go on record that our claims are true, and still you are here with us today, is mind-boggling. How can we thank you enough?

We really got scared when people like Joe Zias, who spent 25 years as an archeologist at Rockefeller University in Jerusalam, called into question our integrity. I think he said publicly “Simcha has no credibility whatsoever.” And even though the great archeologist, Amos Kloner, tried to rain on our party when he said, “The claim that the burial site has been found is not based on any proof, and is only an attempt to sell,” you were not deterred. You are here, and we are so happy!

By the way, did you hear our book is now in the top five of Amazon.com? Amazing! I am thinking about doing some other projects where I set science — even pseudo-science — up against religion. I think I’ll release them during the annual “slam Christianity season” — Lent and Easter — featuring a New York City press conference. We’ll win every time. Christians will be quiet. They won’t set cars on fire or blow anyone up, precisely because they believe in the Resurrection, that Jesus’ way of peace is better. They will, however, get nervous because they don’t really know much about their faith and will buy the book and watch the show.

This brings me to the real point of today’s press conference. Today is my day for revenge. When I received my Oscar for best director a few years ago, I looked out into the crowd and proclaimed, “I am the king of the world”. That’s what I felt on that day and I wouldn’t have said it, if I didn’t believe it. But some of my Hollywood colleagues have looked down on me ever since. They thought I was exaggerating. As my movie credits prove, I’ve been sidelined since that day. But when I found the two-thousand year old scribblings on a tomb wall and, with the help of mathematicians, extrapolated that Jesus’ tomb was not really empty, that he may not have risen from the dead, as two billion people believe today, I realized how true my Oscar’s acceptance speech really was. It was kind of prophetic, I guess. The real king of the world — James Cameron — calls into question the King of Kings.

So don’t forget to buy our book and watch the Discovery Channel on March 4th.”

[kaima]

I think they should center the search in Mexico. There are plenty of Jesus' there and so plenty of Jesus tombs to be explored.

Somehow I suspect this topic should be in the Entertainment and Fiction category instead of religion.

Kai ;D