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A Jesus Documentary: Where Was He Buried?

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(@cookirini)
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Story

JERUSALEM - Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics.

"The Lost Tomb of Christ," which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries small caskets used to store bones discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel.

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son. And the very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

Cameron told NBC'S "Today" show that statisticians found "in the range of a couple of million to one in favor of it being them." Simcha Jacobovici, the Toronto filmmaker who directed the documentary, said the implications "are huge."

"But they're not necessarily the implications people think they are. For example, some believers are going to say, well this challenges the resurrection. I don't know why, if Jesus rose from one tomb, he couldn't have risen from the other tomb," Jacobovici told "Today."

Most Christians believe Jesus' body spent three days at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City. The burial site identified in Cameron's documentary is in a southern Jerusalem neighborhood nowhere near the church.

In 1996, when the British Broadcasting Corp. aired a short documentary on the same subject, archaeologists challenged the claims. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television.

"They just want to get money for it," Kloner said.

Cameron said his critics should withhold comment until they see his film.

"I'm not a theologist. I'm not an archaeologist. I'm a documentary film maker," he said.

The film's claims, however, have raised the ire of Christian leaders in the Holy Land.

"The historical, religious and archaeological evidence show that the place where Christ was buried is the Church of the Resurrection," said Attallah Hana, a Greek Orthodox clergyman in Jerusalem. The documentary, he said, "contradicts the religious principles and the historic and spiritual principles that we hold tightly to."

Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypothesis holds little weight.

"I don't think that Christians are going to buy into this," Pfann said. "But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear."

"How possible is it?" Pfann said. "On a scale of one through 10 10 being completely possible it's probably a one, maybe a one and a half."

Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Ancient Semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher.

Kloner also said the filmmakers' assertions are false.

"It was an ordinary middle-class Jerusalem burial cave," Kloner said. "The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time."

Archaeologists also balk at the filmmaker's claim that the James Ossuary the center of a famous antiquities fraud in Israel might have originated from the same cave. In 2005, Israel charged five suspects with forgery in connection with the infamous bone box.

"I don't think the James Ossuary came from the same cave," said Dan Bahat, an archaeologist at Bar-Ilan University. "If it were found there, the man who made the forgery would have taken something better. He would have taken Jesus."

None of the experts interviewed by The Associated Press had seen the whole documentary.

Thoughts?

And please, I know it's a lot to ask for, but no silly Christian flame throwing here. A good, clean discussion is wanted. Thank you.

 
(@toby-underwood)
Posts: 2398
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Next they're going to tell us Jesus wasn't white. *shoot* Sorry Cookie. 🙁

Anyway, it's interesting, though I wonder just how many turn of the century arabic males were named Jesus. No sarcasm, for all we know the name could be akin to "John" over here. Who was buried in John's tome?

~Tobe

 
(@deckman92)
Posts: 1201
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time-blog.com/middle_east...crypt.html

Quote:


But film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family.


DNA tests?!? What the f*ck are they going to compare the DNA results with? The man is supposed to be 2000 years old; the Romans didn't keep DNA results back then!

EDIT: Nevermind, a fellow PA forum-goer (redx) has it all figured out:

Quote:


wait... I figured out the DNA thing.

His dna, must include yeast dna too.

how else could he become wine and bread?


 
(@toby-underwood)
Posts: 2398
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Of course they did, haven't you seen CSI? *rimshot*

~Tobe

 
(@sonicv2)
Posts: 2191
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CSI: Jerusalem

 
(@toby-underwood)
Posts: 2398
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William Peterson as "White Jesus"

~Tobe

 
(@thecycle)
Posts: 1818
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But.... but... this is preposterous! Next thing you know, they'll be saying Muhammad didn't ascend to Heaven on a winged horse! When will the madness end?!

 
(@veckums)
Posts: 1758
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This has no relation to Christianity, just the claims of this location, Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There are like 50 million supposed holy grails or whatever so why should this be different? However, the evidence sounds suspect. DNA and a name what?

Quote:


CSI: Jerusalem


Somebody with a lot of free time could turn that into something hilarious.

 
(@ultra-sonic-007)
Posts: 4336
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Wasn't this already debunked some time ago?

 
(@Anonymous)
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What, Christianity?

Yeah.

 
(@cookirini)
Posts: 1619
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Topic starter
 

You may be thinking of the James Ossuary, Ultra.

 
(@mista-bubonic)
Posts: 217
Reputable Member
 

in the bible it says that jesus had hair of wool and skin of bronze so according to the bible he isnt white... if he isnt white then maybe he looks like an arab or something ppl of that area arent white looking except for the inhabiting israelis...

 
(@d-b-vulpix)
Posts: 1984
Noble Member
 

Yeah the whole DNA test has me confused too. I know it's possible to get DNA out of bones. But ...okay. You have that. Now who do you compare the blood to? God is kinda out of the question.

 
(@veckums)
Posts: 1758
Noble Member
 

Next on Maury Povich: Divine paternity tests! What does the holy urine sample tell us? Can our lab techs test it without being killed by its glory in the process? Do our guards have what it takes to stop people from stealing it and selling it on eBay? Does drinking it grant you superpowers? I warn you: NO! Seriously, this announcer should have listened when they told me not to.

 
(@toby-underwood)
Posts: 2398
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XD@Vec

And Bubs, stop trying to make me cry.

~Tobe

 
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