New find revives 'Jesus Tomb' flap

Cosmic Log/MSNBC ^ | Feb 27, 2012 | Alan Boyle

[bkopto]

Using a remote-controlled camera on the end of a robotic arm, investigators have found what could be the earliest evidence of a Christian iconography in Jerusalem, engraved on a set of "bone boxes" inside a nearly intact 1st-century tomb.

One of the limestone boxes, known more formally as an ossuary, carries a Greek inscription calling on God to "rise up" or "raise up" someone.

Another box shows the carved image of a fish, perhaps with the prophet Jonah in its mouth. Allusions to fish and the "sign of Jonah" came to be widely used among early Christians, but not among Jerusalem's Jews.

SNIP

"It's a stunning discovery," he said. "It's a stunning piece of technology. As a scholar, I really don't want to get lost in saying, 'Oh, come on, it's off the wall.' Yeah, it's off the wall. But look at the wall!"

SNIP

The filmmakers peered into niches cut into the tomb and found several inscribed bone boxes, including one that was left ajar to reveal the bones still within. In one of the niches, two boxes were jammed close together.

SNIP

After consulting with other scriptural experts, the investigators concluded that the etching showed a representation of Jonah and the fish. The biblical tale of the prophet who was swallowed by a giant fish, only to be vomited up alive three days later, had a special resonance for early Christians, who believed in Jesus' resurrection after three days in a tomb.

The image of the fish, which would not typically be carved on a Jewish ossuary, suggested to Tabor and his colleagues that this might be the earliest surviving example of a Christian marking on an artifact in Jerusalem.

[right way right]

Ho Hum....... Every year, same crap.

[Robert Drobot]

The proof of the pudding.........

[woofie]

It looks like a tortilla to me

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[anathemized]

The investigators appear to be full of fish. How I love my Lord when I see Him giving over to foolishness, the foolish.

[anathemized]

or giving over to fishiness, the fishy, or giving over to the flesh, the fleshly, for as I was all of these, out of all this my Lord saves. Hallelujah.

[RobbyS]

Which proves they found the ossuary of a Christian Jew?

[Domangart]

So what we have is some left over material that was built over. Strange that they didn’t clean it up and put it in order. The women would say, that's men for you.

[T Minus Four]

If you rotate the image 90 degrees counter-clockwise it looks like Michelle Obama in her latest designer dress.

[TXnMA]

That is a helmeted Ancient Astronaut -- climbing into the nosecone of his spacecraft... (Just ask Von Daniken...) </SARCASM>

[maine-iac7]

I guess it’s too late at night to expect much in the way of intelligent comments?

I know Dr. Tabor’s work. I’ve been following it for some years now — have his books. He organizes digs in Israel each summer (He’s Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte) -

He’s not a novice - nor a zealot.

He’s a seasoned hand - including at being criticized by people who haven’t a clue as to what they’re commenting on.

http://thejesusdiscovery.org/

[Othniel]

It's a fish who's discovered bubble gum.

[LukeL]

[rusty schucklefurd]

re: “I guess it’s too late at night to expect much in the way of intelligent comments?”

I think that for many people, hearing of yet another theory or archeological find that “proves” Jesus either never existed, or “we’ve found his tomb” - then finding out later that it was either a hoax or a lot of “creative connecting” of inconclusive evidence causes some to be very skeptical.

Even within the article, John Dominic Crossan (an expert on 1st-century Christianity and a professor emeritus at DePaul University) pointed out:

- the two tombs are about 70 yards apart from each other.
- the area is riddled with tombs.
- there is nothing that demonstrates that the two tombs
have any relationship with the other
- the idea of a resurrection from the dead is not uniquely
Christian. The Pharisees (one of the most powerful
religious groups of Jesus’ time) also believed in a
resurrection of the dead as well as the Essenes (the
group who collected/wrote what we know as the Dead Sea
scrolls).
- The Pharisees also believed in the inerrancy of the Scriptures and would have believed in the story of Jonah - it is not far-fetched to think that they may have connected this story with a resurrection from the dead.

The point is, there is way, way too much speculation to make any positive conclusions about who is buried in these tombs and who put them there. All the names inscribed on these “bone boxes” were very common in 1st century Jerusalem. There is no reason to assume that these names had anything to do with Jesus of Nazareth or Mary Magdalene.

Your point about Dr. Tabor’s work, that he is no novice when it comes to archeological digs is well taken, but attempting to tie this to Jesus’ remains is just way too big a leap of faith. It is all extremely interesting and a remarkable find, but hardly striking proof of anything more than that.

[Gumdrop]

Helloooooooooo!

It’s Lent. That means Easter in not far off. Every year at this time some sort of new find is touted in the press about Jesus and his death and possible bones, a tomb, or something else which is supposed to cause doubt in the true believers’ minds. It won’t work as this trick is very old.........

In fact, it’s downright boring.

[maine-iac7]

I just got a note from Dr. Tabor on his new book - in collaboration with Simcha Jacobovici - (”Yesterday was the official release date of my new book, coauthored with Simcha Jacobovici, The Jesus Discovery. It has burst on the public scene with a flash of media attention and a flurry of initial academic responses–all in less than 24 hours...”)

I will probably get that as I also have followed Simcha’s work.

I don’t ‘take as gospel’ any of the conclusions but do think the research and discoveries are important, real and worth the look-see.

Are you familiar with Jeffrey Butz’s book: “The Brother of Jesus”? (James the Just.) I find it curious that many Christians who are adamant that every word in the Bible is sacrosanct - while there are many contradictions in the Bible itself and while the fact that it was NOT Peter who was the chosen successor of the movement after the Crucifixion, but his brother, James, followed - after James’ stoning in 62 AD, by another brother or first cousin, Symeon, and so on for over a hundred years - as the leadership was a dynastic succession - in the bloodline of David. (Peter and John served as James’ two counselors, as it were - and whom, the three, Paul, the self proclaimed, anointed apostle, cast dispersions on as the ‘so-called pillars of the church.”)

These are facts plainly written in the Bible but largely ignored - as is the admonitions in the Book of James (that narrowly escaped being purged from inclusion in the Bible - that ‘Faith WITHOUT works is dead.’ - Simply having faith that Jesus IS the savoir is not enough - like it says, the devil has that faith - the devil knows and believes that Jesus is the Savior. Is the devil, therefore ‘saved”?)

There are, in addition, many ‘messages hidden in plain sight in the paintings of the Old Masters - to keep the truths alive without getting shish kabobbed. The study of the symbols used is a fascinating one, particularly to me, an artist.

Anyway, I trust in my ability, limited though it may be, to ‘read with discernment’ and not let the baby slip down the drain with the bath water.

[RichInOC]

So they found bone boxes and memorial inscriptions in a cemetery. Shocking. And images related to Old Testament prophetical books in a Jewish/Judeo-Christian cemetery. Even more shocking. I assume they still don’t have any evidence that the bones are Jesus’ and his family’s. If for no more supernatural reason than that they can’t.

I tell you, these guys must think we’re complete morons.