An ancient Hebrew artifact recently discovered in Israel could prove the existence of Yeshua (Jesus), It is a solid limestone ossuary, 20" long dated 63 A.D. enscribed in Aramaic:
YAKOV BAR YOSEF ACHUI DI YESHUA
JACOB (JAMES)[1], SON OF JOSEPH, BROTHER OF JESUS
Here is a picture of the artifact.
This could be the most important evidenciary find to date scientifically establishing the existence of Jesus Christ whose brother was James[2], whose ossuary was found.
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The only incidences of a brother being mentioned in such a Jewish ossuary inscription would be in the case of a king or a high notable. Therefore the "Jesus" in the inscription would point to an individual of very significant importance.
Josephus records that, "James, the brother of Jesus" was martyred by stoning in 62 A.D. at the instigation of the Jewish High Priest at the time, Ananus. Public outrage among the Jewish people resulted in Ananus being deposed as High Priest soon afterwards. Yakov (James) was the Pastor of the Jerusalem Church and according to records was very dedicated in his worship. His knees, because of Praying so much, were described as those of "a donkey" they were so calloused.
His bones would have been prepared and placed in just such an ossuary in 63 A.D. The limestone used for the ossuary has been identified as a specific geological type quarried near Jerusalem, according to the Geological Survey of Israel who performed lab tests on the ossuary itself.
The Aramaic inscription written on the ossuary is a cursive form of writing used only from about 10 A.D. to 70 A.D. After 70 A.D. this form was no longer written. An expert Paleographer André Lemaire of the École Pratique des Hautes Études (the Sorbonne University) in Paris, xonfirmed the geuineness of the inscription and dated it to 63 A.D. The box "shows no trace of modern elements". (B.A.R.)
The limestone ossuary is empty and its contents not known, except the Armenian Church claims to have them in their cathedral in old Jerusalem. The artifact resides in a private collection in Israel. The owner said that he paid between $200.00 and $700.00 for the box 15 years ago. He purchased it from an Arab dealer who said it came from Silwan. Silwan is a Jerusalem suburb with numerous burial caves and tombs south of the Mount of Olives.
After nearly 2,000 years, the writings of the New Testament (see Matthew 13:55-56 and Galatians 1:18-19) and Josephus as well (who mentions James being the brother of Jesus) would be scientifically validated.
There have been other artifacts discovered in Israel that support the New Testament accounts of the historical existence of certain individuals.[2]
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FOOTNOTES
[1
[2
Reformation scholarship states that Yeshua was a full brother to Yakov just as the New Testament says. The Orthodox Church says that Yakov was a son of Yosef "by a previous marriage", while the Roman Catholic Church says that Yakov was really only Yeshuas' "cousin" through Josephs' brother, Clopas. Greater aspersions would fall on the Orthodox and Romanist claims of Yeshua being an actual son of Mary (Yosefs' wife) with this find.
[3
Houston Chronicle. October 22, 2002.
Lemaire, Andre. Ph.D. The Sorbonne. Paris, France.
Shanks, Hershel. Biblical Archaeological Review. Nov/Dec. Issue.