Brother of Jesus: The Discovery!

By Simcha Jacobovici · April 13, 2017 ·

On Saturday night (April 15, 2017 at 10pm EST) our new film “The Jesus Family Tomb” (not to be confused with “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” which aired on the Discovery Channel in 2007) will air on the Science Channel in the US. The film is part of the “Biblical Conspiracies” series and deals with the most famous/infamous archaeological artifact ever found – the James Ossuary.

This 1st century ossuary (bone box) has been at the centre of a fourteen-year-old controversy. The box originated in Jerusalem. On it, there is an inscription that states: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”. When it comes to this ossuary, the stakes are always high. If authentic, the bone box once held the mortal remains of the man the New Testament calls, “The Brother of the Lord.” If authentic, this is the only archaeological evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. But is the entire inscription on the ossuary authentic?

“The Jesus Family Tomb” tackles the controversial James Ossuary and the fallout from its discovery. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) accused the ossuary’s owner, Oded Golan, of forging part of the inscription. We cover the entire Jerusalem-based trial: the evidence pro and con. The film also tracks Dr. Aryeh Shimron, a noted Canadian-Israel geoarchaeologist, as he attempts to use science to explore a possible link between the James Ossuary and the contentious “Jesus family tomb”, discovered in the Jerusalem suburb of Talpiot.

Our new film tracks the James Ossuary story over 14 years! Is the inscription authentic? Did the Ossuary originate in the “Jesus Family Tomb”? If it is authentic and it did originate in that controversial tomb, is this the ultimate evidence that the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth and his family has been located, excavated and identified?