Getting the Facts Straight: The James Ossuary
In the Introduction to my book, The Jesus Dynasty, I offer a comprehensive discussion of the potential importance and significance of the ossuary or “bone box” inscribed “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,” that came to public attention in late 2002. If authentic it offers us the first archaeological evidence ever discovered that directly links to Jesus and his family. This bone box most likely contained the skeletal remains of James the brother of Jesus.
In the summer of 2003 the Israeli Antiquities Authority declared that the inscription was a partial forgery, and that the phrase “brother of Jesus” had been added by the owner, Oded Golan, to enhance the potential value of the artifact. Without the phrase “brother of Jesus” the inscription “James son of Joseph” alone does not offer enough evidence to connect it to Jesus’ family.
Unfortunately there is an all too widespread public impression, echoed in some of the reviews and reactions to my book, that the “James ossuary” has been declared a forgery. I have encountered this repeatedly in recently touring the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Just this week someone posted a review of my book on the Amazon Web site that is typical of the ignorance surrounding this subject:
“Tabor’s “The Jesus Dynasty” starts off with some dubious archeology and that’s the high point of the book…Oded Golan, finder of the ossuary, is in jail. When the police invaded Golan’s home recently they found a large number of forgeries in various stages of completion. Even the carved pomegranate Golan sold to the Jerusalem museum is now deemed a fake. So much for the ossuary being real.”
Such is hardly the case. Mr. Golan is not in jail and his trial still in process. No one questions whether the ossuary is “real” or even the inscription, but whether the last two words are authentic or not. But more important recent scientific tests have seriously called into question the case of the Israeli government on the authenticity of the James ossuary inscription.
As is often the case, people “hear” or “read” something in a press report, then repeat it as fact without either checking for accuracy or keeping up with the outcome of a given story. Ignorance is bliss, as the old saying goes, but it seems to also give rise to a level of dogmatic ignorance that never ceases to amaze me.
The best overall source for the up-to-date facts regarding the matter of the authenticity of the “James ossuary” are the materials on the Web site of the Biblical Archaeology Society. All of the relevant sources are archived there, both those questioning authenticity as well as those supporting it. A quite balanced and comprehensive summary of the current state of the debate was recently published by Hershel Shanks in a Jerusalem Post editorial. Even though Shanks is cautiously supportive of the potential authenticity of the James ossuary inscription he has admirably included on this BAS Web site all points of view, pro and con.
It is regretable that self-declared experts feel free to pontificate about the “James ossuary” having been shown to be a forgery, apparently without having bothered to inform themselves on even the most basic elements of the discussion.
I have given permission for The Introduction to my book to be available free on the Web (but without the photos and illustrations). It offers a comprehensive overview of the information regarding the James ossuary that was available when I went to press last year. Since that time other facts have come to light, including the latest new scientific tests, with much more to come.
So, the next time you hear someone say, “Hey, don’t you know that the ‘James ossuary’ was shown to be a forgery and its owner Oded Golan a crook” you can set them straight and challenge them to educate themselves a bit before they speak and further perpetuate inaccurate information.