March 23, 2008
The Stone Box And Jesus' Brother's Bones
Bob Simon Reports On The Mystery Surrounding The James Ossuary
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Play CBS Video Video Stone Box Linked To Jesus? Did the box once contain the bones of the brother of Jesus, as its inscription said? Or was it a forgery? Bob Simon investigates.
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Five-and-a-half years ago the world of biblical archaeology was rocked to its foundations, and all because of a box. It was a stone box - called an "ossuary" - that had been discovered in Israel. Ossuaries were used to hold the bones of the dead some 2,000 years ago, in the time of Jesus. And this ossuary was said hold the bones of Jesus' brother, James.
As correspondent Bob Simon reports, the discovery created more excitement among Christian scholars than anything since the Shroud of Turin. And like the shroud, no sooner was it unveiled that charges of forgery surfaced. In fact, a trial has been underway in Jerusalem for almost three years.
The box is made of limestone. It's not terribly large, but it attracted a very large crowd, over a 100,000, when it was first exhibited. It made the New York Times and the cover of Biblical Archaeology Review.
New Testament scholar Ben Witherington, who wrote a book about the box, was at that first exhibit. "There was a lot of excitement. There was, you know, the atmosphere was kind of palpable really. And there were various of us just sort of buzzing around this exhibit," he remembers.
Actually, ossuaries are quite common. The Israel Antiquities Authority keeps hundreds in its basement. What was so special about this one was the mysterious engraving on its side, sort of a Da Vinci Code in stone. It's written in ancient Aramaic and it reads "James, Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus."
The first question: could this box have contained the bones of the man the Gospels mention as Jesus' brother?
"If it can be proven it's probably one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the century," says Steve Pfann, who like his wife Claire, is a scholar of early Christianity, and based in the Holy Land.
The Pfanns believe the ossuary is the first firm archaeological evidence that Jesus once lived there. "That is really a great thing just to be able to confirm, from an extra-biblical source, that a man named Jesus existed," Claire Pfann explains.
The idea that Jesus had a brother at all is a bone of contention. Many Catholics believe Mary was a lifelong virgin, so James could not have been a blood brother. Either way, after the crucifixion, James became the first Bishop of Jerusalem. He died, it is written, in 62 A.D. when he was stoned by an angry mob and fell from the walls of the Holy Temple.
The way things were done back then, his body would have been put in a cave. And a year later, when the flesh was gone, his bones would have been placed in an ossuary.
Archaeologists agree that the box is genuine and that it dates from the time of James and Jesus. Statisticians say the odds against it being anyone other than THE James and Jesus are enormous. Two Israeli geologists gave it their stamp of approval. But some experts felt they couldn't render a definitive verdict because it was put on public display so quickly they didn't have time to study it.
"The ossuary was kept more or less secret by a small group of scholars who knew about it," says Neil Silberman, a historian of archaeology who believes the box was presented to the public by people more interested in showmanship than science.
"It was thrust on the world in a combination of public relations campaign and huge exhibition that really didn't allow people to think about it," Silberman says.
"But that is how the world operates these days is it not, if you find something as spectacular as an ossuary with the name of Jesus on it?" Simon asks.
"Well maybe that's part of the problem in studying the history of archaeology I'd have to say that this is perhaps the most outrageous case of tabloid archaeology and the most singular celebrity artifact I've ever seen," Silberman says.
And the problem with the artifact, according to Silberman and others, is not the box itself but the inscription.
A prominent historian said the language of the inscription was "too perfect, too pat." Some epigraphers - script experts - said the two halves of the inscription don't match. The beginning, "James son of Joseph," is straight, the letters formal. But the end, "Brother of Jesus," is uneven and the letters are different. In other words, the words "Brother of Jesus," may have been added by a forger.
The question comes up because the ossuary was not dug up at an authorized excavation, where every shard is scrutinized by scholars. Like most so-called antiquities, it just turned up in the shop of an antiques dealer, which is another way of saying it was looted.
Produced by Michael Gavshon and Drew Magratten
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 516 CommentsPosted by jankebenz at 12:09 AM : Mar 27, 2008
777 = perfection, what else?
I don''t buy that Einstein believed in the kind of god you are talking about. "God does not play dice with the universe" was not meant to imply that some sort of conscious god has a grand plan in mind. That simply wasn''t the point he was making.
Peace.
Famous Scientists Who Believed in God
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Einstein is probably the best known and most highly revered scientist of the twentieth century, and is associated with major revolutions in our thinking about time, gravity, and the conversion of matter to energy (E=mc2). Although never coming to belief in a personal God, he recognized the impossibility of a non-created universe. The Encyclopedia Britannica says of him: "Firmly denying atheism, Einstein expressed a belief in "Spinoza''s God who reveals himself in the harmony of what exists." This actually motivated his interest in science, as he once remarked to a young physicist: "I want to know how God created this world, I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details." Einstein''s famous epithet on the "uncertainty principle" was "God does not play dice" - and to him this was a real statement about a God in whom he believed. A famous saying of his was "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
LOL, Einstein didn''t believe in Jesus though, did he? Case closed on that one!
Besides, to say Einstein believed in the kind of god you are talking about is a dirty filthy lie and a perversion of his true beliefs. He even said so himself before he died because he had grown so tired of people like you claiming him as their own.
Just check the internet for " scientists who believe in God"
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Collins: Why this scientist believes in God
POSTED: 9:37 a.m. EDT, April 6, 2007
By Dr. Francis Collins
Special to CNN
Adjust font size:
Editor''s note: Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Human Genome Project. His most recent book is "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief."
ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) -- I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views.
As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God''s language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God''s plan.
Posted by Candide777 at 11:24 PM : Mar 26, 2008
Belief in God
Is belief in the existence of God irrational? These days, many famous scientists are also strong proponents of atheism. However, in the past, and even today, many scientists believe that God exists and is responsible for what we see in nature. This is a small sampling of scientists who contributed to the development of modern science while believing in God. Although many people believe in a "God of the gaps", these scientists, and still others alive today, believe because of the evidence.
Rich Deem
www.godandscience.org/
Posted by jankebenz at 10:41 PM : Mar 26, 2008
Uh, reknown for what? For abandoning the scientific method? No scientist worth his salt has ever "concluded" that God exist. Some might "believe" it because people like you scared them so badly when they were children. That''s all, sorry to disappoint.
Posted by jankebenz at 11:04 PM : Mar 26, 2008
Holy smokes! Oh, hey, I know, how ''bout if I just confess my sins the second I hear him coming? I suspect it will sound something like when dad came home and found us kids fighting, you could hear him coming down the hall just long enough to leap into a seat and pretend like nothin'' was happening! I''ll bet Jesus is going to be as mad as dad was and won''t be able to conceal his footsteps!
Pilate - the Roman procurator of Judea who ordered that Jesus be crucified (died in AD 36)
Pontius Pilate
Posted by jankebenz at 10:41 PM : Mar 26, 2008
Ooooh, my bad, if all you are saying is that some dude named Jesus use to live a couple thousand years ago, well, by all means I don''t doubt it. I know a few that are around today by that name. I thought you were claiming that he was divine. Now, if that''s the claim, then were back to the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, for that matter, all the wish-thinking in the world ain''t going to make that true! But blink your eyes, click your heels and say, "There''s no place like insanity," and maybe it won''t matter if its true or not!
Posted by Candide777 at 10:29 PM : Mar 26, 2008
No, but like I said ,I have a good memory. Be assured though,that when Jesus returns, you will be giving an account of your life. Nothing will be hidden.
Posted by Candide777 at 10:35 PM : Mar 26, 2008
Actually I''m very glad I could expose a phony and a liar. Nothing better than bringing the "light" to darkness. .He who laughs last ----
I did not post that drivel you moron, you copied the wrong QUOTED TEXT, learn how to read posts here, there are no quoted text " " marks like your email and others, and when people copy and paste to quote stuff they dont always do it right- I always try to quote specific lines of others I want to reply to with at least the; " fore and aft of their words.
MY father was a catholic who went to church when I was a kid, at least till I refused to go around age 12 and he stopped going as well, NEITHER of us has ever been outside the USA.
I most certainly am NOT female and have the equipment to prove it
Posted by newsterl at 10:31 PM : Mar 26, 2008
I have a good memory and found your post under the story headline "hamas flip flops on seminary attack claim" March 7 2008 . your post was at 12:22 am.
Deny that!
Posted by Candide777 at 09:57 PM : Mar 26, 2008
not so my dear, Historical data by roman governers prove his existence
Pilate - the Roman procurator of Judea who ordered that Jesus be crucified (died in AD 36)
Pontius Pilate
procurator - (ancient Rome) someone employed by the Roman Emperor to manage finance and taxes
Moreover, archaeology has substantiated his actuality countless times.
Many reknown scientists also concluded that God must exist, however the majority of modern science can''t publicly voice their believe, to save their credentials and the fallacy of evolution.
Posted by newsterl at 10:31 PM : Mar 26, 2008
LMAO -- jerkaboner has got to be steaming mad now! There''s nothing worse than cathing a religious zealot in a lie -- they go berzerkabenz!
"I faced death while giving birth",
If your not a female ,what are you?
Can we now trust anything you say?. You are exposed!
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My father is an atheist and served during the Berlin Crisis. I am an atheist and though I wasn%u2019t in a fox hole, I faced death while giving birth and I tell you that the thought about God NEVER crossed my mind when I heard my condition could be fatal.
"Posted by jerkaboner"
I did not post that drivel you moron, you copied the wrong QUOTED TEXT, learn how to read posts here, there are no quoted text " " marks like your email and others, and when people copy and paste to quote stuff they dont always do it right- I always try to quote specific lines of others I want to reply to with at least the; " fore and aft of their words.
MY father was a catholic who went to church when I was a kid, at least till I refused to go around age 12 and he stopped going as well, NEITHER of us has ever been outside the USA.
I most certainly am NOT female and have the equipment to prove it
Jankebenz, looks like you got the two screen names mixed up, newster1 and newsterl; don''t be sorry, coulda happened to anyone.
By the way are you saving all my posts too, to show to Jesus when he returns? I''m flattered!
Posted by Candide777 "
That''s true, and we all have his real name, location and I have the posts saved. I suspect he went off the deep end - there is NO ''personal info'' on CBS when you create an account, theres no personal profile where you can enter your age, city, state, gender, interests, web site etc like most forums have- theres a log in name and a password, thats it.
Thats for sure,In one of his/her posts she/he talked about delivering a baby, but then in later posts he claimed to be a man
Posted by jerkaboner"
That was not ME jerkaboner, I NEVER once claimed or inferred I was a female in any post I ever made, nor would I write about delivering a baby- I HATE babies- we need LESS people not more on this overpopulated planet. If I WAS female I''''d have an abortion without question and have stated THAT much before, so either you are confused or you are lying
Posted by newsterl at 09:08 PM : Mar 25, 2008
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Who''s LYING??? Check out your own post below
"I faced death while giving birth",
If your not a female ,what are you?
Can we now trust anything you say?. You are exposed!
---------------------------------------------------
My father is an atheist and served during the Berlin Crisis. I am an atheist and though I wasn%u2019t in a fox hole, I faced death while giving birth and I tell you that the thought about God NEVER crossed my mind when I heard my condition could be fatal.
Posted by newster1 at 12:22 AM : Mar 08, 2008
Posted by Candide777 "
Yeah can you imagine that child abuse? telling a 5 year old all this violent stuff in that book of death and then telling them theyhave to believe and pray and all the rest or for any minor infraction they will go away and BURN in hel1 forever, gee, here on planet purgatory even murderers get out of jail in 30 years.
Posted by jerkaboner"
Stirring up the pot again, you fools dont take NO for an answer!
I dont CARE if the dam thing turns out real or fake and I dont CARE about your lord and his doings- I ceased caring over 30 YEARS AGO- he is REJECTED and is staying away, the truth will be revealed is right, but we''ll all be DEAD by then so it wont matter one way or the other as we''ll be 6 feet under.
Im a card carrying ATHEIST and intend to stay that way so stop preaching your krap to me, we''ve heard enough about your gezus and what you believe- youve said it 500 times already and no one here is suddenly going to church as a result of what YOU believe.
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