A Bible expert has described the James Ossuary, a first-century limestone box, as 'the most significant item ever found' from the time of Christ. The ossuary, which made global headlines in 2002, bears an Aramaic inscription reading 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus', leading many to believe it once held the remains of James the Just, the first leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem.
Archaeologist Bryan Windle told the Daily Mail that he believes the ossuary is a legitimate first-century bone box and that the entire inscription is authentic. 'In my view, the evidence suggests the James Ossuary is a legitimate first-century CE bone box and that the entire inscription is authentic,' he said.
The ossuary surfaced on the antiquities market in the 1970s, and its exact findspot is unknown, though it was likely unearthed in the Jerusalem area or the West Bank. Controversy erupted in 2003 when owner Oded Golan was accused of forging the inscription, including the 'brother of Jesus' portion. Golan was acquitted after a long trial, though the judge noted the acquittal 'does not mean that the inscription on the ossuary is authentic or that it was written 2,000 years ago.'
Windle acknowledged the difficulties in proving authenticity, given the lack of a controlled archaeological excavation. However, he noted that expert testimony presented by proponents of forgery collapsed under cross-examination at the trial. After the trial, Golan said: 'The hot-air balloon released by the prosecution and the IAA has finally popped.'
The ossuary was broken during shipping to the Royal Ontario Museum in 2003, allowing close study. Edward J. Keall, former Senior Curator at the ROM, wrote that examination showed part of the inscription had been recently cleaned with a sharp tool, but that the 'two-hand' theory was baseless. Windle concluded: 'In summary, I believe the ossuary once held the bones of James, who was known in the first century as the 'brother of Jesus.''
