The lost tomb of Jesus?

Question

First of all, I just want to say I am a Christian. I believe in the one and only God of the bible; However, I believe that if you go to 10 different churches on a specific verse, you will most likely get 10 different interpretations of that verse. Nobody is 100% correct on the interpretation of the bible… NO-ONE!!! That being said:

I just got finished watching “The Lost Tomb Of Jesus” and was wondering:

Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus’ bones were found?
Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus was married to Mary?
Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus had a son?

Is it because people have been brainwashed for MANY years that this just can’t be?

I am not easily fooled and I just may be fooled on this. I am going by a television special right now and nothing else. I am assuming (I know about assuming)… that the special showed facts. Now, IF all the elements in the special are accurate – there is only ONE possible outcome.

I do know this. When we all die – we will all be highly surprised about the afterlife. Who is right? Who is wrong?

Was this show just another “alien autopsy”? I don’t know. I plan on doing my own research. I really would love to hear from people who think that I am just plain kooky!!!

Please, if at all possible, put aside your personal convictions - because "I BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS" is just an interpretational thing. Think scientifically. I did.

Lord only knows how many times the bible has been sliced and diced.

Answer 1

Cameron is pandering to the public and his "discovery" will be proven to be just bad science.

- The statistical analysis is flawed and the person conducting the analysis has backed off their conclusions in an open letter to statisticians, stating "I now believe that I should not assert any conclusions connecting this tomb with any hypothetical one of the NT family." See http://fisher.utstat.toronto.edu/andrey/OfficeHrs.txt

- The name "Jesus" was a popular name at that time, appearing in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries

- There is no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child

- The earliest followers of Jesus never called him, "Jesus, son of Joseph"

- It's unlikely Joseph, who had died earlier in Galilee, would have been buried in Jerusalem

- The Talipot tomb and ossuaries probably would have belonged to a rich family, which is not a historical match for Jesus

- Fourth-century church historian Eusebius makes quite clear the body of James, brother of Jesus, was buried alone near the temple mount.

- The two Mary ossuaries do not mention anyone from Migdal, but just Mary, a common name

- By all ancient accounts, the tomb of Jesus was empty, making it unlikely that any body was moved, allowed to decay for a year, then be put into an ossuary.

- If Jesus had remained in the tomb, first-century opponents of Christianity would most certainly have found His body and put it on public display.

- Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the conclusions cannot be supported by the evidence but it's a way to make money on television. He would have nothing to do with supporting the movie's assertions. "It's nonsense," he said.

- James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the book of James, the early leader of the church in Jerusalem, was martyred for his faith. Why does James make no mention in his letter that Jesus was not bodily resurrected? When he was about to die why didn't he just recant his beliefs and say, 'Okay, okay! My brother didn't rise from the dead. Here's where we took him. Here's where his bones are. Here's our family tomb. We made the whole thing up?' People will generally not die for a lie when they know it's a lie. Why would James die perpetuating a lie when it would have been so easy to disprove? In fact why would any of the apostles go to their deaths for something they knew to be false?

As I have expected, there has been **no scientific or historical find** that has ever been shown to disprove the authenticity of the bible's history or theology.

Kind of disappointing to see that all it takes is a press conference and a slick TV show for some folks to form life-altering opinions versus taking the time to rationally examine all the issues and dig a little deeper. It is the Macdonald's generation: fast, superficial, and never satisfying.

Answer 2

First off, discovering the stays has been what persons who desire to debunk the Resurrection have attempted to do. If you discover the frame or bones, then Jesus quite did not upward push from the lifeless. Did you truthfully watch the exhibit at the Discovery Channel? Because they discovered a suite of male bones and feminine bones that weren't straight similar, they finish that they have got forensic proof that it ought to be Jesus's stays. The change among your examples? When I devote a homicide and so they discover my hair (for what ever motive) on the scene, they may be able to scan the hair towards? You acquired it the hair that's on my head and determine a optimistic identity. Where did they get Jesus’s DNA so as to set up a baseline pattern? The challenge that I have with the declare is that the manufacturers of the exhibit throw the forensic declare in the market (recklessly) in order that persons are purposefully deceived. I watched the exhibit, however acquired extra out of the Ted Koppel discussion board afterwards. You become aware of that Simcha Jacobovici dodges the entire questions he was once requested and might turn-flop on protecting the wild claims made within the exhibit. It isn't any marvel they overrated the exhibit and did not allow the Scholastic neighborhood (Secular or Religious) to weigh in at the discipline. They knew, in the event that they allowed the scholastic neighborhood to check their findings or the exhibit it might be laughed at. But that's adequate, this “discover” has been round when you consider that the 1980’s and the BBC did a documentary at the subject in 1996. Yet Cameron and Jacobovici desire you to think that it is a new discover and it'll “blow the lid” off of faith. There was once simply method an excessive amount of hype for me to belly. I bet it labored despite the fact that, for the reason that I watched the exhibit. Oh good.

Answer 3

You should understand something -- when it contradicts directly with faith, it will come under intense scientific and historic scrutiny before it becomes an accepted fact.

For instance, when general products are released, Consumer Reports tests those products to see if it is safe. This type of peer review was NOT done on the Lost Tomb of Jesus. Scholars weren't allowed to review it. Only one scholar, who was a paid consultant; hence, he is already biased towards it.

So nobody is making conclusions yet. But there's hope. A 'Consumer Reports' of the Lost Tomb of Jesus is being released soon. A new book called 'The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In' [isbn: 0978834690] will be the deciding factor for many people whether this is the tomb of Jesus or not since so many scholars and scientists are looking at the data and they are sharing the information in this book to make a solid conclusion.

Answer 4

Okay,I'll answer.

"Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus’ bones were found?"

Because it denies the resurrection.But in any case.there weren't actually *any* bones founf in the ossuaries.

"Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus was married to Mary?"

Because he wasn't married to Mary.You know the bidg deal about the DNA testing they did? Guess what that proved:That the one in the 'Jesus' ossuary and the one in the 'Mary' ossuary were not maternally related.Hardly groundbreaking evidence for them being married.

"Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus had a son?"

Once again,Jesus did not have a son.

"Is it because people have been brainwashed for MANY years that this just can’t be?"

On the contrary.You need to understand that the documentary has not been some major discovery that the 'poor,brainwashed Christians' just won't accept,while every scientist and archaeologist agrees with it.That is simply untrue,as the vast majority of scholars have flatly rejected the claims-both Christians and non-Christian.

"I am assuming (I know about assuming)… that the special showed facts."

That assumption is wrong.

"Now, IF all the elements in the special are accurate – there is only ONE possible outcome."

Well,the elementts are not accurate in any case.

I also strongly disagree with you about denominational differences,but that's another subject.

Care to take a look at these?

http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/02/jesus-tomb-titanic-talpiot-tomb-theory.html
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/03/jesus-tomb-show-biblical-archaeologists.html
http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10408
http://keralaarticles.blogspot.com/2007/03/lost-tomb.html
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanId=sa003&articleId=14A3C2E6-E7F2-99DF-37A9AEC98FB0702A
http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/The_Lost_Tomb_of_Jesus/losttombofjesus_response.htm
http://www.gracecentered.com/Jesus_tomb.htm
http://www.christilling.de/blog/2007/03/guest-post-by-richard-bauckham.html
http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2007/03/tomb_of_jesus_n.html

Answer 5

1 Because Jesus is Alive...therefore He has his bones inside of Him.
2. He devoted 3 years to the disciples and had no time for a wife...and how could we be the Bride of Christ if He already had a bride. And it doesn't say anywhere anything about a wife saying something about why are you spending all that time with those 12 men, spend some time with me.....with 12 men constantly with Him someone would have said something.
3. I head of a verse that Jesus had no children to carry on His name but I can't find it....We're described as join-heirs with Jesus so wouldn't it have mentioned a son being a heir as well since heirs were very important then?
4. Even CNN thought it was a hoax.

Answer 6

You sound like someone very much in need of a good bible study. Find a good bible teaching church -- they are out there -- and stop making excuses for why the bible cannot be an authority.

It holds all of the answers that you are seeking.