by C. Michael PattonJune 13th, 2012
This has been in and out of the news over the years. It looks like the inscription on the controversial tomb that boasts to be the ossuary of the brother of Christ, James, has been declared to be authentic, having the backing of the court of law.
The tomb was first brought to light in 2001. It had the Aramaic inscription: Ya’akov bar-Yosef akhui diYeshua, meaning ”James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”. After initially thought to be authentic, this was challenged by some. Oded Golan, the ossuary owner, was charged in 2004 with 44 counts of forgery. However, he was recently declared innocent.
After a 5-year trial, Jerusalem judge Aharon Farkash recently acquitted the defendants of all charges of forgery. But his verdict doesn’t mean the Aramaic inscription on the bone box, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,” is authentic. It only means that the prosecution failed to present evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the inscription is a forgery.
Interestingly, the article goes on to say, “[N]ot a single paleographer of repute has challenged their analysis. Paleographically, there is no other side.”
Tim Kimberley, director of Credo House Ministries and author of Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archeology says, “This now makes a top ten find in Biblical archeology.”
Read the rest here.