Ossuaries, Film Makers, Characters, and Martyrs

Oded Golan is an Israeli antiquities dealer who has uncovered some artifacts that created great excitement in the archaeological world. One of Golan's most famous 'discoveries' is the James Ossuary.

In the first century Jewish families would store the dead bodies of their loved ones on rock shelves in family caves. When the bodies decomposed, family members would take the bones and stack them in an ossuary or bone box and tuck them into a niche in the cave.

The James Ossuary was a bone box that contained the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus". This ossuary became the subject of a 2002 Discovery Channel movie directed by Simcha Jacobovici when the ossuary was connected to the brother of Jesus of Nazareth, described in the New Testament.

The discovery of the James Ossuary and the corresponding Discovery Channel movie gained worldwide attention and then later the archaeological community was shaken when Golan was suspected of forging the "James, brother of Jesus" inscription. The Israel Antiquities Authority labeled the ossuary a fake.

Golan was arrested on July 21st, 2003. When he appeared in court, police brought along as evidence forgery equipment that they claim they found in his home. The equipment included stencils, stones and partially completed forgeries. Sixteen months later Golan was indicted in an Israeli court and accused of being in a forgery ring that operated for more than 20 years. The trial is still going on. In spite of the controversy, documentary movie director Simcha Jacobovici still believes in the authenticity of the inscription on the James Ossuary. In a recent Newsweek article Lisa Miller and Joanna Chen label Jacobovici as a "maverick, a self-made Indian Jones".

This year, Simcha Jacobovici in conjunction with "Titanic" director James Cameron has completed another 'ossuary' documentary called the "The Jesus Family Tomb". The documentary claims that Jacobovici found ossuaries in an Israel Antiquities Authority warehouse that contain the bones of Jesus, Mary, and Mary Magdalene along with some other relatives. The movie hasn't been shown yet but Jacobovici's claims are already starting to crumble under scholarly examination. People of faith should not shy away from an examination of Jacobovici's claims.

Matt Slick, writing for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, recently wrote this: "Remember, looking at evidence and using logic is what Jesus taught us to do. Jesus said to doubting Thomas in John 20:27, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” Jesus himself urged Thomas to examine the evidence and believe based on that evidence. In other words, Jesus taught to examine evidence and make a logical conclusions based upon it."

While I have read extensively about this controversy over the last few days, the purpose of this posting is not to delve into the strength or weakness of Jacobovici's claims. Other writers have covered this topic much better than I could. I would encourage you to read more in these excellent internet articles:

Jesus’ Tomb: Fact or Fiction

Has the tomb of Jesus been found?

Oded Golan is now standing trial in Israel, suspected of forgery of historical religious artifacts. His controversial James Ossuary is being used by Simcha Jacobovici to validate the alleged 'Jesus family tomb'. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the Jerusalem cave where Jacobovici's ossuaries were found, claims that the idea that these ossuaries could belong to Jesus and his family does not hold up to archaeological standards and accuses the filmmakers of just using the Biblical names to make money. In a recent Time magazine article Jacobovici and company were labeled as a new breed of 'speculative historians' who write a book, make a splash, and then take the money and run. In a story like this, motives will be questioned. But what about the motive and character of those who told the other side of this story? What about those primary historical sources who knew, believed in, and wrote about Jesus Christ?

Matthew, who wrote the first gospel which described the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was killed for his belief in the resurrection in the city of Nadabah in A.D. 60. Jesus' disciple Peter, also a New Testament writer, wrote that God raised Jesus from the dead. Church history tells us that Peter was crucified upside down for his faith because he did not feel worthy of being crucified in the same manner as Christ.

James the Less, who referred to himself as a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, was beaten and stoned by the Jews and according to Foxe's Book of Martyrs had "his brains dashed out with a fuller's club" because of his proclamation about Christ. In fact 11 of Jesus' twelve disciples where martyred for their faith in Christ. The 12th, John, the beloved disciple, escaped death but was banished to the Isle of Patmos by Domitian.

Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria. Doctor Luke, who carefully laid out a history of Christ and the New Testament history of the early church, was hung on an olive tree for his belief in Christ.

I don't know about you but when I look at the witnesses on each side of this issue I'm more inclined to believe the guys who gave up everything they had in order to tell their story. I don't think I'll ever turn my back on Christ, but if I do it won't be because of a flimsy story like Simcha Jacobovici's "Jesus Family Tomb" based on speculative history and evidence provided by the likes of an Oded Golan.