2 of 3

Witherington is intrigued as much by the beautiful Aramaic lettering of the inscription as by what it says. Handwriting analysis also helps date the ossuary to around A.D. 62, the traditional date of James' death.

"It certainly supports the view that Aramaic was still very much a living language amongst early Jews, including some of the followers of Jesus," he adds. He also sees implications for some Catholic doctrines in this discovery, especially the perpetual virginity of Mary.

"The dominant Catholic tradition is that the brothers of Jesus are actually cousins because Mary didn't have any more children, or they were step brothers in that they were Joseph's sons by a previous marriage," he said. "This inscription could call into question that doctrine."

Most Protestant scholars believe James was a younger brother of Jesus (one of four mentioned in Matthew 13:55) and not to be confused with the apostles, James the brother of John, or James the son of Alphaeus. James doesn't appear to have followed Jesus while he was alive, but Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:7, mentions that Jesus appeared to James after the resurrection. James then became the leader of the Jerusalem church.

Acts 15 records that James rendered judgment at a church council that met to adjudicate issues raised by Paul and Barnabas. He was also probably the author of the New Testament book that bears his name. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus says that around A.D. 62 the high priest Ananus arranged for the death of "one James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ/Messiah."

BAR editor Hershel Shankstold CT the ossuary had been in the private collection of an Israeli citizen for about 15 years. "I asked the owner why he didn't recognize it. He said, 'I never thought that the Son of God could have a brother.'"

Shanks became aware of its existence in June after the owner contacted French epigrapher Andre LeMaire to evaluate it for him. The owner "got it from an Arab antiquities dealer," he said. "He only paid a few hundred dollars for it. The antiquities dealer told him it was found in the section of Jerusalem called Silwan, just south of the Mount of Olives. It's an area that's pockmarked with burial caves. Some people have their basements in ancient burial caves."

McRay said he had anticipated a discovery like this when he wrote his book a few years ago. "Two thousand years have passed and you would expect something like this to be there. It could be, probably, the most significant archaeological discovery of this generation." Shanks calls it "the most important find in the history of New Testament archaeology."

"We're making arrangements right now to have it exhibited in North America," Shanks adds. "Next month there are 8,000 biblical scholars meeting in Toronto at their annual meeting. We'd like it to be there." After that, he's not sure what will happen with the ossuary.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

See the official website for Biblical Archaeology Review.

Christianity Today's 1998 article "Grave Matters" and sister publication Christian History's "The Scandal of the Grave" discuss archeological finds, the use of ossuaries, and the burial rituals of Jesus' time.

next page... |  2 of 3

share this page

October (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46