Scholars Dismiss Jesus Documentary

Film Claims Bones Found In Jerusalem Tomb Are Those Of Jesus Christ

(CBS/AP)  An Oscar-winning director is about to challenge the most elemental tenets of Christianity, claiming the bones of Jesus Christ were found in a Jerusalem tomb, but many archaeologists and clergymen have been quick to cast doubt on the movie's assertions.

James Cameron's "The Lost Tomb of Christ," which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries — small caskets used to store bones — discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel.

In fact, the astounding claim is that the entire Holy Family was buried in a vault, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips. Astounding, critics say, because Jesus' family was famously poor and such tombs were the fashion of the wealthy.

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son. And the very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

But Philips reports that, although archeologists have long argued over the factual and historic accuracy of Christianity's version of history, in this case, the archeological establishment has lined up to label this claim as bunk.

Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television.

"They just want to get money for it," Kloner said.

"What's the story, they found the DNA connecting Jesus to God? Can you check the DNA of god," Kloner, seen at left, sarcastically asked during an interview for the CBS News Early Show.

Cameron said his critics should withhold comment until they see his film.

"I'm not a theologist. I'm not an archaeologist. I'm a documentary film maker," he said.

The tomb bears the names Jesus, Mary and Joseph and one of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son. But scientists argue the names were extremely common during that time period, and in no way prove the Jesus buried at the site was Jesus Christ.

Another researcher whose work has focused on the Middle East, biblical anthropologist Joe Zias, has dismissed Cameron's claims as "dishonest".

"It has nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus, he was known as Jesus of Nazareth, not Jesus of Jerusalem, and if the family was wealthy enough to afford a tomb, which they probably weren't, it would have been in Nazareth, not here in Jerusalem," he said.

He said the appearance of the names proved nothing.

Cameron told NBC'S "Today" show that statisticians found "in the range of a couple of million to one in favor of it being them." Simcha Jacobovici, the Toronto filmmaker who directed the documentary, said the implications "are huge."

"But they're not necessarily the implications people think they are. For example, some believers are going to say, well this challenges the resurrection. I don't know why, if Jesus rose from one tomb, he couldn't have risen from the other tomb," Jacobovici told "Today."

Most Christians believe Jesus' body was laid for three days at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City.

The burial site identified in Cameron's documentary is in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Talpiyot, nowhere near the church.

The film's claims have also raised the ire of Christian leaders in the Holy Land.

"The historical, religious and archaeological evidence show that the place where Christ was buried is the Church of the Resurrection," said Attallah Hana, a Greek Orthodox clergyman in Jerusalem. The documentary, he said, "contradicts the religious principles and the historic and spiritual principles that we hold tightly to."

Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypothesis holds little weight.

"I don't think that Christians are going to buy into this," Pfann said. "But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear."

"How possible is it?" Pfann said. "On a scale of one through 10 — 10 being completely possible — it's probably a one, maybe a one and a half."

After its debut in New York, "The Lost Tomb of Christ" will be shown on the international Discovery Channel, Canada's Vision, Channel 4 in Britain and Channel 8 in Israel.

This is the second time The Discovery Channel has been involved in a disputed claim about an ancient tomb, Phillips reports. The man at the center of the previous case is now facing trial for forgery.

[IONO77]

According to the mythic scriptures on the mount of olives he was found with John the desciple naked who ran clad into the night.... so I think christians would rather that Jesus was Gay... than that he be earthy and mortal...

[autummin]

of course jesus is still alive...just like elvis!

[jabberwock11]

James Cameron is a multimillionaire. I'm sure he didn't become so successful by taking advice from plebeians on internet forums. He knows what he's doing.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[bao1j]

I will advice james cameron not to put is hard earned fame and popularity in the mud,this documentary cannot be true,Jesus Christ is resurrected already and HE IS ALIVE,the bones they claimed they saw cannot be that of Jesus Christ.

[johns1104]

Those that do not believe, nothing would convince you, YOUR BLIND Faith to believe anything that cast doupt on anything Christian
DNA Proof, where are you going to get DNA to test against those dry bones? And what would that prove.

[johns1104]

IT IS ALL ABOUT FAITH. You would need to have more faith to beleive this hype, than the all of the recorded evidence of the resurrection.

[Josh Grate]

both keepingup1 and mitch6544 are retarded. What do you not get about god is real? we didn't come here as a coincidence. jesus rose from the dead. the bible says so. problem solved.

[benjones1]

Sorry to break the, uhm, *old* news to you Mitch6544, but in fact we don't have the bones of the James, brother of Jesus. See CBS News: Oh, Brother: Jesus Box Is A Fake JERUSALEM, June 18, 2003. But, good try.

[mitch5511]

Since there are suppose to be bones of James, brother to Jesus, why not compare DNA to find out? I think people are just scared that the Jesus who they have believed in all these centuries is just a man not God. Blind faith is just that...blind!

[burn8420]

I'm a Agnostic what i would like to know is how do we know what is the true bible when the Council of Nicaea and king CONSTANTINE decided what their idea of the bible would be and anything else would be call heresy. Who knows what is right.

[questioning]

Has no one heard of blind faith?

Jesus was a living man...with physical needs and societal responsibility. Why is no one looking at the reality of how much the bible has been changed by human hand since the first scrolls where written. Why does no one even remember that Mary Magdelene was NEVER a prostitute.

Don't forget it is human beings who changed that fact inbelief through a subtle change of fact thru translation by editing the bible itself. Please don't forget that this.
If the bible has been edited over 14 times, by different times, by different individuals, with different social agendas...can it really not be dirtied by the human sinners that re-worked it?

People ask questions! Think for yourselves. We are ALL the sons and daughters of GOD...not just Jesus...do we not have a small peice of god within our selves? Do we not each find god through our free will and the power of knowledge and choice? Is that not our own divinity?

If you stop asking questions...you will always have to settle for someone elses translation of the truth.Don't forget the truth behind the editing and translating process.

[Josh Grate]

Hey, Guys. I'm new at this CBS thing...
So, whats whole deal with the fake jesus bones? They can't find his bones, because he rose from the dead! Does the bible lie? Of course not! problem solved.

[plsthink]

Ooops! Sorry. Thought this thread was about news, but apparently I've made a mistake and entered the Tuesday afternoon religious sermon.

[anopinion1]

saved_sinner

blablablablabla

we are shaking in our booties now

[saved_sinner]

I apologize for the repeat post. I didn't realize I did that.