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The Jesus Family Tomb tells the story of what may very well be the greatest archaeological find of all time--the discovery of the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. Following the accidental bulldozing of a tomb during the building of a housing complex in suburban Jerusalem in 1980, archaeologists from the Israeli Antiquities Authority were immediately called to the scene. Inside, the archaeologists found ten ossuaries--limestone boxes that served as first-century coffins. Six had inscriptions, including Jesus, son of Joseph; two Marys; and Judah, son of Jesus. The team concluded that the unusual group of names was merely coincidence. After removing and cataloging the ossuaries, they left the tomb to the builders to finish what they had already started. Twenty-five years later, Simcha Jacobovici, an Emmy award-winning journalist, tracked down the ossuaries in the Israeli Antiquities Authority's warehouse and decided to investigate this remarkable collection of names. Simcha mapped and then located the original tomb, which, to his surprise, was still intact. Granted unequaled access, he soon found that the archaeologists were unaware of key evidence that made this the discovery of a lifetime. This is a story that is destined to grab international headlines and raise fundamental questions about the historical Jesus. Are the "Jesus" and "Mary" referred to in these inscriptions the Jesus and Mary Magdalene of the gospels? Readers are taken on a remarkable journey: from telling statistical analysis, to a time-bending trip across two millennia, and an investigation of the patinas and DNA of the tombs that makes an episode of CSI look mundane. The Jesus Family Tomb arrives at an extraordinary answer to an ancient mystery. A riveting combination of history, archaeo-logy, and theology, this book will change the way we think about God, religion, and everything we have learned about the life and death of Jesus.… (more)
User reviews
As the authors point out, there are a lot of people who simply don't want to hear this. Since I don't have anly stake one way or the other, it is rather amusing to me that this is such a hot potato.
For those of you who can only accept the bible as it is now will be
Have the authors even made a prima facia case that this is the tomb of Jesus and his family? No. Is this the tomb of Jesus? Who knows. Does it matter? Not to anyone with even a tenuous grip on rationality.
This is a compelling book that cannot be dismissed. It is written after painstaking investigation. It reads like a detective work, a treat for any interested reader. The brilliant Forward by James Cameron must be read first. While the authors' conclusions may not be the ultimate proofs (it is not possible to `prove' anything that happened thousands of years ago `conclusively') their research work of stunning proportion is remarkable. The reader can come to his/her own conclusions.
It is worth noting that there are books on the discovery of Jesus' and his family members' tombs in and near Kashmir, India. The tomb of Moses is also in the same area, according to these sources.