james ossuary

james ossuary Latest

Baroque artist Guido Reni depicts the apostle James, son of Zebedee, in his painting 'Saint James the Greater' (c. 1636–1638).

Apr 24 Blog

James or Jacob in the Bible?

By: Mark Wilson

How did the Jewish name Ya’akov, properly translated as Jacob, become James in English versions of the Bible?

Roman Catacomb Painting at the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla

Apr 6 Blog

The Last Days of Jesus: A Final “Messianic” Meal

By: James Tabor

On Wednesday Jesus began to make plans for Passover. He sent two of his disciples into the city to prepare a large second-story guest room where he could gather secretly and safely with his inner group.

The Ravenna mosaic of Jesus. Photo: Sant’Apollinare Nuovo Ravenna, Italy/Bridgeman Images

Apr 3 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

Did Jesus of Nazareth, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), really exist? What’s the evidence outside of the Bible? Classical and Jewish writings from the first several centuries C.E. give us a glimpse of the person who would become the central figure in Christianity mere decades after his crucifixion.

Mar 30 Blog

Did Jesus’ Last Supper Take Place Above the Tomb of David?

By: Marek Dospěl

Jesus’ Last Supper and the Tomb of David are traditionally associated with a building called the Cenacle in Jerusalem. Can archaeology shed light on these traditions?

Feb 1 Blog

Mark and John: A Wedding at Cana—Whose and Where?

By: James Tabor

James Tabor discusses the wedding at Cana from the Gospels of Mark and John. Whose wedding was this and why were Jesus and his family present?

The Repentant St. Peter by El Greco. Photo: The Phillips Collection.

Jan 21 Blog

The Apostle Peter in Rome

By: Nicola Denzey Lewis

Brown University Religious Studies professor Nicola Denzey Lewis answers frequently asked questions about the apostle Peter. Denzey Lewis appears in the CNN series Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, which aims to investigate artifacts that shed light on the world in which Jesus lived.

Nov 21 Blog

The Tomb of Jesus? Wrong on Every Count

By: Craig Evans and Steven Feldman

Back to “Jesus Tomb” Controversy Erupts—Again Rarely does the world of Biblical archaeology make as much news as when filmmakers James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici […]

Preserved hair from a Jewish male found in the 1st-century “Tomb of the Shroud”

Mar 17 Blog

The Only Ancient Jewish Male Hair Ever Found

By: James Tabor

The braided hair of a Jewish woman was found at Masada but until recently no example of preserved hair from a Jewish male had ever been found from the late 2nd Temple period. This discovery is one of the many fascinating, but less publicized finds of the 1st century “Tomb of the Shroud,” discovered in the summer of 2000 just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The secrets this tomb continues to yield are many, including recent correlations with the DNA test results from the Talpiot Jesus tomb.

Sep 26 Blog

Is the “Brother of Jesus” Inscription on the James Ossuary a Forgery?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Although the famous “brother of Jesus” inscription on the so-called James Ossuary has been authenticated by two world-class paleographers, not everyone is convinced that the inscription is authentic.

Dec 24 Blog

The Archaeological Quest for the Earliest Christians

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

In part one of a two-part series, Douglas Boin presents new archaeological and historical research in the study of early Christianity.

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