Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

I've found the coffin of Jesus, says film director
This Is London ^ | 25.02.07 | Staff

Posted on 02/26/2007 12:47:38 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182

The Lost Tomb of Jesus, made for the Discovery Channel, will be shown in the U.S. this week and later in Britain by Channel 4.

Today, Cameron is holding a press conference on what he describes as 'one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time'.

Crucially, he is not denying the resurrection - as there were no bones in the caskets.

But the £2million film still strikes at the foundation of Christianity in the same manner as the novel The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, in claiming that Jesus married and had a family.

His theory, which has already met with derision from experts, centres on a tomb found in the Talpiot suburb in 1980. Inside, archaeologists found ten coffins, or caskets for bones, and three skulls.

Six had names etched into them, which were translated as Jesus son of Joseph, Judah son of Jesus, Maria, Mariamne (thought to be Mary Magdalene's real name), Joseph and Matthew.

At the time the inscriptions provoked little interest. The Israeli Antiquities Authority said the names were common at the time.

A connection to the holy family was not made until 15 years later, when a film crew stumbled across the collection in a storeroom.

Though the bones had long since been reburied elsewhere, as was the custom, tiny traces of DNA left in the caskets were tested.

The results for the coffins labelled Jesus and Mariamne showed the two were not related by blood, leading Cameron and his team to conclude they were married.

The film's Israeli director, Simcha Jacobovici, said: 'Either this cluster-of names represents the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.

'Or some other family, with this very same constellation of names, existed at precisely the same time in history in Jerusalem.'

The idea that Mary Magdalene had a child with Jesus was the main theme of The Da Vinci Code. The book claimed their union was kept secret in a church conspiracy.

The location of Cameron's conference is being kept secret until the last moment to stop crowds trying to see the artefacts. The cave in which they were found has also been put under armed guard.

However, the archaeologist who oversaw the work at the tomb described the theory as 'nonsense'.

Amos Kloner said the names found on the coffins had been found in tombs before, adding: 'It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's impossible.

'Jesus and his relatives were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the first century.'


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cameron; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; jamescameron; jamesossuary; jerusalem; jesus; jesustomb; letshavejerusalem; simchajacobovici; talpiot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 next last
To: Anti-Bubba182

Should be big enough to hold the remains of his career.


41 posted on 02/26/2007 1:55:02 PM PST by william clark (DH4WH - Ecclesiastes 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: txroadkill

I'm sure it would be to die for.


42 posted on 02/26/2007 1:57:09 PM PST by Sue Perkick (...what I was born to do, don't have to think it through.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

Please visit the AOL Poll now.


43 posted on 02/26/2007 2:00:09 PM PST by Bitsy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182; Gamecock; Alex Murphy; wmfights; Blogger; 1000 silverlings; xzins; P-Marlowe; ...
However, the archaeologist who oversaw the work at the tomb described the theory as 'nonsense'.

Amos Kloner said the names found on the coffins had been found in tombs before, adding: 'It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's impossible.

'Jesus and his relatives were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the first century.'

Cameron won't let facts derail his agenda.

44 posted on 02/26/2007 2:02:08 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Shadowstrike
I'll probably watch it. I find archaeology interesting. Whatever he has found, I suspect it is a family who wanted to emulate Christ and named their children after his family...not very unusual, it will be interesting and informational.

I'm not threatened by this kind of crap. As a Christian, I expect to be the target of much worse than this pitiful attempt. Just break out the popcorn and enjoy the show. His Titanic movie was mildly amusing.
45 posted on 02/26/2007 2:02:41 PM PST by Sudetenland
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Invincibly Ignorant; Between the Lines
However, the archaeologist who oversaw the work at the tomb described the theory as 'nonsense'.

Amos Kloner said the names found on the coffins had been found in tombs before, adding: 'It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's impossible.

'Jesus and his relatives were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the first century.'

46 posted on 02/26/2007 2:05:25 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marie2

>>>Why is this lunatic getting the time of day?<<<

There are at least three things that will get you lots of air time from the left-wing media propaganda machine:

1) Bash Christianity
2) 'Prove' that Christianity is a fraud
3) Bash Christian leaders or leaders who claim to be Christian (e.g. Dobson, Bush, Santorum, etc.)


47 posted on 02/26/2007 2:07:06 PM PST by PhilipFreneau (God deliver our nation from the disease of liberalism!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: txroadkill
Could you imagine what would happen if someone went out and made a documentary that questioned the Muslim faith???

Even a cartoon of who-know-who can get a person killed.

48 posted on 02/26/2007 2:08:33 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182
A connection to the holy family was not made until 15 years later, when a film crew stumbled across the collection in a storeroom.

Yep, film crews commonly skulk about in warehouses filled with Jewish antiquities.

Happens all the time.

49 posted on 02/26/2007 2:14:14 PM PST by Charles Martel (Liberals are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marie2

This is marketing. The MSM reports marketing press releases as news.


50 posted on 02/26/2007 2:17:17 PM PST by RightWhale (300 miles north of Big Wild Life)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Gene Eric
Well, besides, it's about 2000 years too late to be finding a body. Given the situation at the time, if the body of Jesus were anywhere but where the apostles said it is (resurrected and in heaven) somebody would have found it within 24 hours.

the wrath of the mortals he risks upsetting.

Ain't upsetting me. Hardly worth getting upset about.

51 posted on 02/26/2007 2:24:14 PM PST by thulldud ("Para inglés, oprima el dos.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: thulldud
It may not upset you but Cameron may incur the wrath of the...BattlePope!


52 posted on 02/26/2007 2:48:16 PM PST by AreaMan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: AreaMan

How many rounds do those things HOLD??


53 posted on 02/26/2007 2:51:45 PM PST by thulldud ("Para inglés, oprima el dos.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: thulldud

A surprising amount...like the loaves and fishes.


54 posted on 02/26/2007 2:53:29 PM PST by AreaMan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Charles Martel
Yep, film crews commonly skulk about in warehouses filled with Jewish antiquities. Happens all the time.

Location shoots can be lonely. Maybe they were just looking for a nice restaurant.

55 posted on 02/26/2007 2:57:47 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg

Plus, why would it be 2000+ years before it was known. Jesus was never buried in a casket anyway-- but in burial clothes and the head wrapping was separate from the other garment.


56 posted on 02/26/2007 3:05:51 PM PST by 1000 silverlings
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg
Dr. James Heiser presented a paper to the 2003 meeting of the Near East Archaeological Society in which he pointed out that the ossuaries which are the subject of the current hoopla were contained in a published 1994 catalogue. (which is to say that this film crew didn't stumble upon them in a storage chamber; as is common with 21st Century shoppers, they picked through a catalogue and mixed and matched).

Of the ossuaries listed, 233 contained inscriptions; some form of the name Joseph appeared on 19 ossuaries while some form of the name Jesus appeared on 10. Multiply these percentages by the number of people who would be expected to have been interred in Jerusalem during the period of ossuary use and the fraud of these hucksters becomes obvious.

57 posted on 02/26/2007 3:26:32 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg; Anti-Bubba182; Gamecock; Alex Murphy; wmfights; Blogger; 1000 silverlings; xzins; ...
Cameron won't let facts derail his agenda.

Yeah, I was sorry to see that. It seems this has been a yawner by the real experts since it was discovered in 1980. He reminds me of Oliver Stone.

Unless I missed it, I didn't see any possible explanations for the spread of Christianity if this find is true. If it was a lone wolf cover-up, then he wouldn't have engraved the boxes. If it was a grand conspiracy, and somehow had the boxes protected, then what in the world did the conspirators hope to gain? They spent the rest of their lives in persecution, just like Jesus said. What was the payoff if they knew Jesus was a fraud? What a joke.

58 posted on 02/26/2007 3:51:36 PM PST by Forest Keeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Shadowstrike

>> Don't watch it... Don't read it...

Exactly. Christians need to follow through with their pocketbooks; i.e., don't pay to see the exploitation of Christ for at least by example to others if not for self respect and that of God.


59 posted on 02/26/2007 4:05:09 PM PST by Gene Eric
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182

I've found cigarette butts from the Last Supper.


60 posted on 02/26/2007 4:06:10 PM PST by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson