Biblical Hebrew Forum

[goranson AT duke.edu]

In his book, The Jesus Dynasty, James Tabor asked whether the "James" ossuary
might have come from the Talpiot tomb, about which big claims are about to be
made, according to the following article (thanks to Joseph I. Lauer for the
link):

http://www.cjp.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=210067

and, now see also:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/24/wjesus24.xml


Though we will see what evidence is presented, am I alone in wondering whether
those claims are impelled less by history research than by the sales of The
DaVinci Code? Should archaeological claims be announced by
archaeologists or by
film makers?

Is it a circular argument to call it the Jesus family tomb and then to define
family members as those names inside?

For now, I'll merely note that the Talpiot tomb was discovered in March 1980,
and that, according to Haaretz:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/823215.html

the Oded Golan defense will bring (or has brought?) photographs of the "James"
ossuary with the inscription claimed to be taken in March 1976.

Can we, for starters, conclude that at least one of the above claims is false?

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
"Jannaeus, His Brother Absalom, and Judah the Essene?"