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Did you hear that they discovered the cave of John the Baptist? It's in all the papers (691 Google News links so far). The Associated Press, which claims an exclusive on the story, calls it "potentially a major discovery in biblical archaeology."

No one is more excited than British/Israeli archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who uncovered the site.

"I am now certain that this cave was connected with the ancient cult of John the Baptist. Indeed, this may very well be 'the' cave of the early years of John's life, the place where he sought his first solitude in the 'wilderness' and the place where he practised his baptisms," he said. "For the first time, we can point to a spot and say it is highly likely that this is where John the Baptist was baptising and undertaking his rituals. That is amazing."

Elsewhere, he's quoted as saying "The site we've uncovered is seemingly the connecting link between Jewish and Christian baptism." And "John the Baptist, who was just a figure from the Gospels, now comes to life." And ""In addition to John the Baptist, there's a possibility that Jesus used this cave as well."

A press release explains it all. "Tradition holds that John was born and raised in the area and that his mother Elizabeth hid with her infant son in a cave to escape the child slaughter commanded by King Herod. There are several churches in the area dedicated to John or claiming to be sites from which he conducted his ministry … "

Oh wait. This is a press release from April 2000. Huh. But surely the finding that it's John the Baptist's cave is new, right? Uh, not really. The Charlotte Observer suggested as much on its front page back in Easter 2000. And the latest details aren't too new for Gibson to have a book on the shelves this week detailing the find, calling it "the first archaeological evidence of the historical reality of the Gospel story." The subtitle says the archaeological discovery "has redefined Christian history."

Wow! What, pray tell, was in the cave?

Carvings of images of John the Baptist, for one—including a figure that appears to depict his beheading. Oh, but they're from the Byzantine era, apparently carved by fourth and fifth century monks. And none of them have inscriptions describing the site as the cave of John. But Gibson's team also found first century pottery shards! Oh, but they also found 250,000 other shards, some as early as the second century B.C.

Um, but it's a really cool find, right? You bet, Gibson told Reuters. "Nothing like this has been found elsewhere," Gibson said. "It is the first time we have finds from the early baptismal period … It is an amazing discovery that happens to an archeologist once in a lifetime."

Well, if you're Shimon Gibson, you get enough amazing discoveries for multiple lifetimes. He discovered a first-century leper—a huge find, given that many scholars had argued that leprosy didn't really exist in Jesus' day and that his healings were of other skin ailments. And then there was his discovery of a shrouded corpse, which Gibson said "could be that of a witness to Christ's crucifixion" and proof that the Shroud of Turin is a fake. And then there was his highly publicized warning that the Temple Mount was in danger of imminent collapse. And his findings on the "real" Via Dolorosa. And all that is just in the last few years.

Weblog isn't suggesting that Gibson is making stuff up. He's a noted archaeologist, not some hack. But given the controversy about the last time someone claimed to have "the first archaeological evidence of the historical reality of the Gospel story," a bit more skepticism is in order these days. (Speaking of the James Ossuary controversy, Biblical Archaeology Review has a series of updates, including a Duke professor's assertion that a third of the inscriptions in the Israel Museum are fakes.)

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August (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48