Documentary makers claim tomb of Jesus found in Jerusalem cave

[The Straight Story]

Documentary makers claim tomb of Jesus found in Jerusalem cave

2007/2/24
JERUSALEM, dpa


The makers of a new documentary, to be aired for the first time at a news conference in New York Monday, claim that a tomb found in a Jerusalem cave 36 years ago belongs to none other than Jesus Christ.

The claim presented in the documentary is based on years of research by world-renowned archaeologists, statisticians, experts in ancient scripts and in DNA, the Israeli Yediot Ahronot daily Friday quoted the makers as saying in an exclusive interview.

....
The 2000-year-old cave had already been discovered in 1980 in Jerusalem's Talpiyot neighborhood. In it were 10 coffins, six of which bore inscriptions, which -- translated into English -- included the names "Jesus son of Joseph," twice "Maria," and "Judah son of Jesus."

The second Maria is hypothesized to be Maria Magdalene, while the tomb bearing the name Judah could indicate Jesus had a son.

If true, the find could be one of the most significant in the history of archaeology and shake the Christian world.

But the senior Israeli archaeologist who thoroughly researched the tombs after their discovery, and at the time deciphered the inscriptions, cast serious doubt on it.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/front/2007224/103086.htm

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Yeshua is one of the most common names of the time

as is Mariam, as is suggested in the rest of the article. But wouldn't it be interesting if this could be proven? Already scholars of Aramaic are suggesting that Jesus and Mary Magdaline were husband and wife, from some of the phrases Jesus used when talking about her.

[krispos42]

2. In related news, fundies advocate for human cloning

Bringin' back Jesus! :woohoo:

[Benhurst]

3. Was it empty?

[SharonAnn]

4. Good point! ROTFL!

[TahitiNut]

11. According to the RCC, two should be empty.

Just sayin'. :shrug:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary

[yurbud]

19. of course. Skull & Bones made a xylophone out of his skeleton and use the skull for the matching

bongo with Geronimo's.

[unpossibles]

5. two things

1 - if Jesus' grave is not empty, doesn't that sorta blow the whole divine miracle thing?

2 - DNA experts? Hmmm. "yup. This DNA has got some Jesus in it." ?

[Cleita]

6. Well, if they find the bones of a Yeshua, wouldn't that

indicate that there was no resurrection? I doubt if Christianity will accept this find as genuine because it would blow the whole reason for Christianity's existence.

[The Straight Story]

7. It is the perfect setup for end timers though - there will be a great delusion

and this could be it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Well, for the literalists it would. Many liberals do not necessarily

believe in the divine miracles.

[spoony]

12. Why would you say that?

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Because it is true?

[xchrom]

14. that is precisely right.

episcopalians, lutherans, probably methodists -- and most certainly many, many catholics who aren't at all literalists -- would simply continue to occupy the pews and keep on moving.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. And Congregationalist UCC and Christian-orienteed Universalist Unitarians .. :^)

and lots more.

[xchrom]

17. indeed -- the list is bigger than folk realize.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Yeah, whevener the fundagelicals in hubby's church crow

about yadda-yadda percent of people say they believe in God I reply a) they don't all go to a conservative church, and b) God to them could be a tree. *chuckling*

[Cleita]

21. I was raised a Catholic and the Church's whole premise for

existing is the pivotal doctrine of the Resurrection. This was supposed to be proof that Jesus was in fact a divinity who became human to save us from our sins. So I can't imagine the Vatican ever accepting this find as genuine. It just blows the whole religion to pieces.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Well that is the trouble with being a literalist, yes.

[Cleita]

23. You don't get it. To be a Catholic you have to believe it or

you can't consider yourself a practicing Catholic. The whole mass is a ceremony where the crucifixion is commemorated as a blood sacrifice of God the Son, to God the Father to redeem the sins of Adam and Eve that we inherit as their decendents. The Resurrection is proof that the Son is truly God, one of the Trinity. So I know different Christian sects like to change the interpretation of those events but the Catholic Church is pretty firm about it because it's regarded doctrine.

Personally, myself, if I worshipped anything it probably would be trees, so it makes no difference to me.

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. Well the reformed Catholic churches (not in communication with

the Vatican, of course) aren't necessarily so literal. So there's Catholics and Catholics just like there's Baptists and then there's Baptists. :)

(And I like the idea of tree worshipping. I always feel closer to God when I am out in nature anyway.)

[Cleita]

29. Yes, trees are like our mothers.

People don't realize how important they are for everything, flood control, wind control, habitat and they produce the very air we breathe, among the many benevolent functions they perform for us and all the other land species of our planet.

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. So very true. :^D

[ngant17]

13. Jesus has DNA?

WTF is the DNA going to prove, anyway?

If there are any bones in the cave, in only proves that a human body decomposed there at one time.

Jesus Christ was a hodge-podge of mythical stories patched together from other religions, and the only miracle was the fact that this highly unoriginal myth turned into a world religion with millions of believers.

[Cleita]

20. They couldn't test for DNA unless there were living members

of his family alive today. What a silly idea because, would we know who his decendents are anyway? If, whoever this Yeshua is that is buried in the tomb, it could be one of hundreds of Yeshuas who lived at that time not necessarily the Jesus of the New Testament. However, that wasn't my point. I am more of the mind that it's a hoax like the James ossuary.

My point is that since it's claimed that Jesus was resurrected and became an immortal so to speak, he should be walking around in the flesh today among us. So far the only nutcase to make this kind of claim is the Rev. Moon, who claims to be a reincarnation of Jesus, something highly impossible if he's been alive for two thousand years even if there was such a thing as reincarnation.

This tomb, if genuine, could never be proved to be the tomb of the biblical Jesus because there just isn't enough outside empirical evidence to prove it.

[NashVegas]

27. Living Members of the Family? You Haven't Been Reading Your CS Family Trees, Have You

The Bushes are from the line, don't ya know?

(Actually, most long-settled Americans can trace themselves back to 2 or 3 of the important lines.)

[Cleita]

30. Ya got me!

:-)

[Warpy]

8. They find this stuff every couple of years

and trumpet it loudly, then whisper that it was another fake.

Remember the reliquary of James, brother of Jesus? Shoot, I don't read Aramaic, but I could tell there was a big difference between refined engraving and a scratched in addendum.

There are two unpalatable choices for fundies: either they found another clever fake, or they found full coffins and Jesus was a man--a great teacher, but a man.

[Esra Star]

10. My guess is that they are trying to sell a documentary.

Also the tomb will contain actual historical figures, not confabulations.
Jack the baptist would be a candidate. And a bunch of followers.

[NashVegas]

28. More Like a King

Is my feeling.

[Orangepeel]

31. hmmm... did you see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

and that whole "cup of a carpenter" scene? I'm not sure that that tomb of a king would be mistaken for the tomb of the biblical Jesus.

[Esra Star]

35. There was a loose hierarchy of spiritual leaders. Some

would have been buried with a lot of ceremony.

[durtee librul]

25. Just in time for us

to bomb Iran huh? In other words, 'resurrect' Jesus for the 2nd coming......

[walldude]

26. Did you see the thread where director James Cameron claims

to have discovered this? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x282816

[mitchum]

32. Fuck it! I'm not gonna give them a DNA sample so they can verify

No way!

[struggle4progress]

34. The press conference is marketing for the book "The Jesus Family Tomb"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=113452&mesg_id=113510