A limestone bone box dating to about 63 A.D. is being heralded
as “the only New Testament-era mention of the central figure of Christianity,”
the Biblical Archaeology Review reports.
It is “the first-ever archaeological discovery to corroborate
biblical references to Jesus,” the journal states.
A limestone bone box dating to about 63 A.D. is being heralded
as “the only New Testament-era mention of the central figure of Christianity,”
the Biblical Archaeology Review reports.
It is “the first-ever archaeological discovery to corroborate
biblical references to Jesus,” the journal states.
It may be the most important find in the history of New Testament
archaeology,” added Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review.
The existence of the box – roughly 20 inches long, 10
inches wide and 12 inches high – was announced Oct. 21. It apparently
once contained the bones of James, brother of Jesus. An inscription on the box
reads, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.”
An extensive article about the limestone box – called
an “ossuary” – appears in the November-December issue of the
Biblical Archaeology Review.
The journals Web site at www.bib-arch.org notes: “The
family relationships contained on the new find helped experts ascertain that
the inscription very likely refers to the biblical James, brother of Jesus.
… Although all three names were common in ancient times, the statistical probability
of their appearing in that combination is extremely slim. In addition, the mention
of a brother is unusual – indicating that this Jesus must have been a well-known
figure.”
The Web site also says that no evidence has been found to detract
from the authenticity of the box or the inscription.
James has been widely regarded in Christian history not only
as Jesus brother but as the leader of the church at Jerusalem once he
became a believer.
First-century Jewish historian Josephus said James was killed
by Jewish authorities around A.D. 62.
The burial box of James was purchased about 15 years ago for
$700 or less by a private collector in Jerusalem. The collector was told at
the time it had been unearthed near the Mount of Olives. The collector, a Jew,
had no idea of its significance until meeting with a scholar last spring.
No other history is known about the box. However, the Biblical
Archaeology Review Web site says transferring bones of deceased persons from
caves to ossuaries was common practice in the first century.
The Web site also notes, “Ancient inscriptions are typically
found on royal monuments or on lavish tombs, commemorating rulers and other
official figures. But Jesus, who was raised by a carpenter, was a man of the
people, so finding documentation of his family is doubly unexpected.”
The inscription is in Aramaic, the common language among first-century
Jews.
“This chance find is going to have a tremendous impact
on New Testament scholarship,” said Steven Ortiz, assistant professor of
archaeology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
It also is important for the church because it refocuses the
context of Jesus, Ortiz said.
“There is a tendency to create Jesus in our 21st-century
image,” he added. “The church tends to mold the teachings of Jesus
within the context of the issues facing the church, instead of molding the issues
facing the church to the message and teachings of Jesus.”
Prior to the Oct. 21 announcement of the bone box, the earliest historical
mention of Jesus was in a papyrus fragment from the Gospel of John, written
about A.D. 125.