Luck reveals Inscription on Ancient TombCould it be the grave of John the Baptist's father?
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/07/06/here.lies.zachariah.ap/
Luck reveals Inscription on Ancient Tomb
Controversial Artifact May Provide Earliest Written Link to JesusAn ossuary bearing the inscription, “James, Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus” that recently came to the attention of both scholars and the public has been the subject of news reports, magazine articles, and heated scholarly debate.
James Ossuary
The artifact is the subject of a documentary, Secrets of the Ancient World: James: Brother of Jesus?, that airs March 4th at 8:00PM/7CT only on The History Channel.
Ancient Stone Tablet may provide Evidence of Solomon’s TempleA newly-revealed stone tablet inscribed in ancient Hebrew that dates to the
9th century BCE may be a link to Solomon’s Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Experts say that the language of the inscription could indicate that it is a forgery. Ancient Stone Tablet
For an interesting presentation on how forgeries are made, visit the following site:
http://www.bibleinterp.com/presentations/Temple_Relic2_files/frame.htm
Israel Antiquities Authority Panel of Experts declares
James Ossuary and Jehoash Inscription Fakehttp://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/features/ossuary/index
Gold Dust and James Bond
The ever-increasing Problems of ForgeriesThe February 2003 Newsletter of the Society of Biblical Literature was devoted to the problem of forgeries. Feature articles include the following:
On Relics, Forgeries, and Biblical Archaeology
by Neil Asher Silberman
http://www.sbl-site.org/Newsletter/02_2003/Silberman.html Between Authenticity and Forgery
by Hershel Shanks
http://www.sbl-site.org/Newsletter/02_2003/Shanks.html Does the 'James Ossuary' Bring Us Closer to Jesus?
by Margaret M. Mitchell
http://www.sbl-site.org/Newsletter/02_2003/Mitchell.html The Archaeologist's Stone: Evidence & Illusion in Biblical Archaeology
by Henry Carrigan
http://www.sbl-site.org/Newsletter/02_2003/Carrigan.html
New Finds from the Bar Kochba PeriodIn Late November, archaeologists conducting a survey of caves at the Ein Gedi nature reserve uncovered a small cache of artifacts from the Bar Kochba period, including two papyri, arrowheads, and rare coins from the revolt.
New Finds from Bar Kochba
Mysterious Graves at QumranA tomb containing what is believed to be a zinc covered coffin was found at Qumran, but between the time of discovery and the time of formal excavation, robbers plundered the grave, leaving behind only fragments. Nearby, an unusual tomb surrounded by a walled enclosure (in a cemetery of almost 1,200 unenclosed graves) adds more mystery. While researchers find the grave and the enclosure highly interesting, they may never know who was buried there. Mysterious Graves at Qumran
"Angel Scroll" Authentic or a Hoax?Copies of a manuscript known by scholars as the “Angel Scroll” surfaced in Jerusalem in recent years. Seeking authentication of the manuscript, the owners clandestinely provided a hand-written copy of the original text. Purported to be a missing Dead Sea Scroll manuscript, the text is entitled The Book of the Visions of Yeshua ben Padiah. Without an original manuscript, the text cannot be authenticated, but analysis of the handwritten copy conducted by Professor Stephen Pfann of Jerusalem can be viewed at the following site: http://www.csec.ac.uk/benpadia.html
Father Bargil Pixner
23 March 1921 - 5 April 2002Obituary reprinted by permission from The Independent, Obituaries, 17 May 2002 by Felix Corley. Father Bargil Pixner
News LinksArchaeological Institute of America:
http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10168
Israel Antiquities Authority:
http://www.israntique.org.il/eng/news.html
Archaeology Online:
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/news/index
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