Israel may open 'Jesus tomb' to public

Still, members of the film team suggested on Monday that some Christian traditions could be reconciled to the notion of a "spiritual" resurrection.

They are correct. There are plenty of formerly-Christian traditions that do not believe in the resurrection, the divinity of Jesus, or even the divinity of God. Far from having any trouble reconciling to the notion of a "spiritual" resurrection, they're already past it.

Still, members of the film team suggested on Monday that some Christian traditions could be reconciled to the notion of a "spiritual" resurrection.

They are correct. There are plenty of formerly-Christian traditions that do not believe in the resurrection, the divinity of Jesus, or even the divinity of God. Far from having any trouble reconciling to the notion of a "spiritual" resurrection, they're already past it.

God is in control, but it well may work with many as their excuse. There will come a time where they will be sent strong delusion that they might believe the lie. Maybe this is the lie. It certainly is getting strong coverage.

It got coverage here locally in Columbus but then the station interviewed a Baptist preacher and he said "It's as simple as this, Jews didn't write in Latin and Mary and Jesus were extremely common names...." Nice balance.

"Jesus (a variant of "Joshua") was a very common name form in that era"

And I heard a Scholar on the radio last night say that Mary or a variant of Mary was the most popular girls name in those days. One in five young Women had the name Mary or variant. He went on saying that finding a tomb with bone boxes carrying those two names would be like finding the names David and Debbie in a role tomb stones. The evidence just does not add up to support Camerons claim. In fact the Archaeologist that found the tomb do not stand by the film makers claims. They and other history experts quoted in the film are taken out of context.

#1. Jesus's family was very poor and could not afford such an elaborate tomb for him and his family.
#2. If Jesus and his family were from Nazareth why were they buried in Jerusalem.

Jesus' followers were hunted down by the Jews in the days and years following the Crucifiction. They died for their belief in His resurrection. Even Saul of Tarsus (later Paul) was intent on stamping out Christianity until his experience on the road to Damascus.

Is there any evidence that makes this tomb unique, besides the names?

Actually, the notion that Christ's family was very poor is dubious.

The 'enrollment' when Quirinius was governor, was a real-estate enrollment (that from Roman records--there was no census in the modern sense at that time, but there was a land survey), so 'going up to Bethelem because he was of the house and lineage of David' indicated the family owned land in Bethlehem and environs, quite possibly the house where the Persian magi presented their gifts to Him. An artisan (by tradition a carpenter--though ta techna is more general) with a home in Galilee and land in Bethlehem would not be 'very poor'. Details of His family history preserved in Orthodox tradition make the notion that His family was poor even less likely.

Christ's poverty was voluntary, by act of his human will, not just by the act of his divine will in selecting the woman from whom He was to be Incarnate.

Of course, ancestral land-holdings in Bethlehem would make a family ossuary in Jerusalem even less likely in the contrafactual circumstance that He had not risen from the dead.

Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

Understood.

You are articulating the view of Jehovah's Witnesses. Such a view is contradicted by Scripture:
Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Lk. 24:39)

Further, the stakes are high.
1 Corinthians 15
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

29Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

31I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

35But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

39All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

40There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord

The BIG problem that Simcha Jacobovici and Cameron both have is that one of the names inscribed on the tomb is "Waldo." They can't let that be seen on TV or it would diminish the effect of their "find."

Thomas is buried in India; some think that is Jesus's tomb. Magdalene is buried in France; except her head, which they bring out for an annual parade and ceremony. None of them are buried in the Levant; they all set out for other regions north, east, west, and south, or their remains were brought to France during the Crusades.

And having searched for relics for generations when they had control of Jerusalem, the crusaders didn't find this tomb or, if the had, did not believe it to be of any significance yet these two schmucks did? Give me a break.

"The filmmakers' presentation was met by a largely receptive journalistic audience."

Further proof that the "profession" of journalism is largely populated by cretins.

See you at the 2008 Acadamy Awards. /s

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution. Nice pics in this one!

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I visited Jesus's tomb in 1992. It's in the Church of the Holy Sepulcre in Jerusalem. This has been a known fact since about the year 300 AD when the first church was builtover the tomb and over Mr. Calvary!.

I visited Jesus's tomb in 1992. It's in the Church of the Holy Sepulcre in Jerusalem. This has been a known fact since about the year 300 AD when the first church was builtover the tomb and over Mt. Calvary!.