Biblical Relics
SJ Weisiger errancy@infidels.org
Tue, 4 May 1999 07:41:08 -0500 (00925839668, 001101be962b$62c9b920$32a2a6d0@default)
SJANE
I found this article in the NYT on the web and thought
it might be of interest to the list.
I just don't understand why Biblical archeologists
aren't constantly combing the area for relics
to support the stories of the Bible. The only
reason why the burial box was found is because
a tractor fell into a cave!
Ciao
-SJane Weisiger
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May 4, 1999
Relic of Jesus Persecutor Displayed
Filed at 6:27 a.m. EDT
By The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) -- An ornate stone burial box believed to have contained the
bones of a high priest who plotted Jesus' arrest has been sealed shut after
eager Christian pilgrims tried to open it to get a look.
Officials at the Israel Museum revealed Monday that they had taken the step
to protect the ossuary, one of the few artifacts linked to the story of
Jesus' crucifixion.
It is a centerpiece of the museum's new exhibition on early Christianity to
mark the year 2000, when Christian tourists are expected to pour into the
Holy Land for millennium celebrations.
Decorated with floral designs chiseled in the smooth white limestone, the
ossuary held the remains of Joseph Caiaphas, the Judean high priest
appointed by the Romans.
According to Christian tradition, Caiaphas, acting on a tip from Jesus'
disciple Judas, sent his Temple guards to arrest Jesus, who had predicted
the destruction of the Temple and the overthrow of the priestly hierarchy.
The burial box was unearthed about five years ago when a tractor fell into a
cave while building a promenade overlooking Jerusalem's walled Old City. It
was near the biblical site know as the ``Hill of Evil Counsel,'' where
priests met in Caiaphas' house to plot the arrest of Jesus and recommend
that he be killed after being found guilty of blasphemy.
The bones were reburied in a valley near Jerusalem and, out of respect for
Orthodox Jews who oppose the practice, have never been on display in the
museum, said David Mevorah, curator of the exhibit.
Groups of Christian pilgrims have gathered in front of the ossuary and
prayed, many overcome with emotion at being in contact with artifacts linked
so directly to Jesus. Some have tried to open the box.
``The lid was broken several times,'' said Mevorah. ``We have now had to
fortify it with epoxy resin because people coming here, apart from praying
sometimes, try to open it and see if the bones or the relics are still here.
``It is now closed and cannot be opened,'' he told reporters.
The ossuary, about the size of an airline carry-on bag, is displayed next to
the only artifact confirming the existence of Pontius Pilate, the Roman
procurator, or governor, of Judea who passed the death sentence against
Jesus. It is a dedication tablet for a building found in the seaside ruins
of Caesaria in northern Israel.
Going on display later this year will be a replica of the only artifact
confirming the Roman practice of crucifixion -- an ankle bone with an iron
nail the size of a railroad spike sticking through it.
``This is the only archaeological evidence in the world of crucifixion,''
said Mevorah, who said the ankle had been nailed through the side and not
from the front as in depictions of Jesus' crucifixion.
The remains are believed to belong to a man named Yonathan Ben Hagkol.
Little is known about the victim, except that he was buried in the same tomb
with the ossuary of a man said to be Simon, builder of the Jewish Temple,
and may have been a member of the same family.
Museum officials said they have been reluctant to display the crucifixion
relic in the past, fearing it would reignite the controversy over who was to
blame for Jesus' death or that the artifact would be incorrectly linked to
Jesus himself.
Museum director James Snyder said a special path had been established to
guide Christian pilgrims through the museum so they will be able to see
exhibits most closely related to biblical accounts. He said security was
adequate to protect the artifacts.
Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company