tales from the crypt

What are we to make of the recent "Discovery Channel" documentary and book about the supposed "Jesus tomb"? Could it be that archaeologists have just now made a shocking discovery that will be the end of Christendom?

This is one of the important questions we will ask biblical archaeologist Scott Caroll when he comes to our church for a seminar this weekend.

I expect that his answer will be similar to Ben Witherington in this article. The simple truth is that the documentary and book are great marketing and money making sensationalism, but have no root in real science. You have to hand it to James Cameron, the American producer who dreamed up the idea of exposing the supposed tomb of Jesus. What could be more sensational than the bones of Jesus?

Sadly, the average person in America who gets their news from MTV and will only see the headlines will seldom question the validity of such "docu-drama".

But here are some things to keep in mind as you have conversations with people who have seen "The Jesus Family Tomb" and wonder if the bones of Jesus have been found in Jerusalem:

1. The names Jesus and Mary and Joseph were among the most popular names in first century Jerusalem. To find all these names in a family tomb is not surprising at all- in fact it would be a surprise if these names weren't in a family tomb from this time period. (For instance, 21% of all Jewish women were named "Mary" in the first century)

2. DNA sampling from this documentary means absolutely nothing. There is no nuclear DNA available from any of Jesus' family. The fact that everyone in the tomb was related is a completely worthless point and really only a cheap stunt intended to wow viewers.

3. What the documentary did not reveal was that significant evidence from the supposed tomb has been found to be fraudulent. You can find the article here. The same person who brought us the supposed "James" ossuary that was revealed to be a complete hoax, also had a hand in this.

4. Tell your friends about Scott Caroll coming this weekend. Give them the opportunity to spend time with a legitimate biblical archaeologist. The truth will set them free!

It turns out that the documentary is nothing more than a really good publicity stunt without the backing or integrity of serious archeology. Cameron is trying to capitalize financially before the thing falls apart. In the mean time we can use it as an opportunity to engage people with the truth.