What is the Jesus Family Tomb? Has the lost tomb of Jesus Christ been discovered?
Answered from the commentary of Dr. John Ankerberg and W. W. Fereday
The Jesus Family Tomb is the name given to a tomb in Talpiot, a Jerusalem suburb, where ten ossuaries were discovered in 1980; filmmakers and researchers claimed that some may have held the remains of Jesus and his family. The claim that this was Jesus’ tomb is not based on proof, and the supplied commentary says the names and evidence do not establish that it belonged to Jesus’ family. The names are uncertain or common, the claimed link between Mariamne and Mary Magdalene is unsupported, and there is no historical evidence here that Jesus was married or had a son named Judah. The commentary’s plain verdict is that the Talpiot tomb has not been shown to be Jesus’ burial site. The exact location of Jesus’ tomb cannot be fixed with certainty in the other account, but it says the tomb was empty because Jesus had risen.
Verses: Matthew 27:57, Matthew 27:58, Matthew 27:59, Matthew 27:60, Matthew 27:61, Matthew 27:62, Matthew 27:63, Matthew 27:64, Matthew 27:65, Matthew 27:66, Matthew 28:1, Matthew 28:2, Matthew 28:3, Matthew 28:4, Matthew 28:5, Matthew 28:6, Matthew 28:7, Matthew 28:8, Matthew 28:9, Matthew 28:10, Mark 15:42, Mark 15:43, Mark 15:44, Mark 15:45, Mark 15:46, Mark 15:47, Mark 16:1, Mark 16:2, Mark 16:3, Mark 16:4, Mark 16:5, Mark 16:6, Mark 16:7, Mark 16:8, Luke 23:50, Luke 23:51, Luke 23:52, Luke 23:53, Luke 23:54, Luke 23:55, Luke 23:56, Luke 24:1, Luke 24:2, Luke 24:3, Luke 24:4, Luke 24:5, Luke 24:6, Luke 24:7, Luke 24:8, Luke 24:9, Luke 24:10, Luke 24:11, Luke 24:12, John 19:38, John 19:39, John 19:40, John 19:41, John 19:42, John 20:1, John 20:2, John 20:3, John 20:4, John 20:5, John 20:6, John 20:7, John 20:8, John 20:9, John 20:10, John 20:11, John 20:12, John 20:13, John 20:14, John 20:15, John 20:16, John 20:17, John 20:18, Acts 2:22, Acts 2:23, Acts 2:24, Acts 2:25, Acts 2:26, Acts 2:27, Acts 2:28, Acts 2:29, Acts 2:30, Acts 2:31, Acts 2:32, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Corinthians 15:4, 1 Corinthians 15:5, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:7, 1 Corinthians 15:8
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
There is multiple historical attestation that both Christians and non-Christians knew where the tomb of Jesus was, and that it was found empty on the third day.
On February 26, 2007, filmmakers and researchers unveiled two ancient stone boxes they claim may have once contained the remains of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. On Sunday, March 4, 2007, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” produced by Oscar-winning director James Cameron aired nationwide on the Discovery Channel. A related book by Simcha and Charles Pellegrino entitled The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History (Harper Collins) released the day of the press conference to coordinate with the special.
These researchers argue that 10 small caskets discovered in 1980 in a Jerusalem suburb may have held the bones of Jesus and his family. They even claim that one of the caskets bears the title,
“Judah, son of Jesus,” hinting that Jesus may have had a son. But what truth can be found in this story? This is not a question of what are the chances of finding another tomb in the Jerusalem area with these same names but what are the chances of the people in this tomb not being the biblical family of Jesus?
"Although we are only at an early point in the research, the consensus so far has been that this tomb is not Jesus' burial site," says Dr. Gary Habermas, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University. [14]
The word "Jesus" in the inscription is unclear and may read, "Hanun" according to Stephen Pfann,
President of Jerusalem 's University of the Holy Land, who appeared in the movie. "Also, Jesus" ossuary was very plain compared to the others found in the cave. The idea that the originator of a religion would end up in such a plain ossuary as compared to the others found in the cave is kind of telling as to whether this is really potentially the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth or not." Further only 6 of the 10 ossuaries in the Talpiot tomb were inscribed - 4 were not. In addition, Mariamne is not part of Jesus' family in the New Testament, and we shall see there is no historical evidence equating Mariamne with Mary Magdalene. There is also not a shred of historical evidence that Jesus and Mary were married or had a son by the name of Judah. Finally, Jose is probably not Jesus' brother because then his ossuary would have read, "Jose, son of Joseph" just like Jesus'. [2]
On the contrary, the Israeli archeologist who actually discovered the ancient burial caves 27 years ago says there is absolutely no proof to Cameron's outlandish claims. What's more, the archeologist says that Cameron and his team are merely trying to profit by attacking a central tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day and that his body has never been discovered.
"The claim that the burial site [of Jesus] has been found is not based on any proof, and is only an attempt to sell," says Israeli archeologist Professor Amos Kloner. "A similar film was released 11 years ago, and Kloner said that this current film was merely a renewed effort to create controversy in the Christian world in order to make a bigger profit. He added, "I refute all their claims and efforts to waken a renewed interest in the findings. With all due respect, they are not archeologists." [3]
The Statistical Analysis Concerning Jesus Is Highly Exaggerated. The Name “Jesus” Was a Popular Name in the First Century. It Has Been Found in 99 Other Tombs and on 22 other Ossuaries.
The name Jesus was a popular first century name, discovered on 121 other tombs and ossuaries during this time period. According to the details in a famous catalogue of ossuary names that has been out since 2002 with the information known about this locale since c. 1980, we find:
If this is the Family Tomb of Jesus, why does it contain so many non-family members?
The statistical analysis concerning Jesus is highly exaggerated. The name “Jesus” was a popular name in the first century. It has been found in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.
This indicates that of all existing tombs and ossuaries of the period, that there is nearly a 1 in 20 (4.6%) chance that any male tomb would have the name Jesus on it. Yet according to the film's statistics, the evidence is 600 to 1 in favor of their story being true.
It is not in the purview of statistics to conclude whether or not this tombsite is that of the New Testament family. Any such conclusion much more rightfully belongs to the purview of biblical historical scholars who are in a much better position to assess the assumptions entering into the computations.
The role of statistics here is primarily to attempt to assess the odds of an equally (or more) ‘compelling' cluster of names arising purely by chance under certain random sampling assumptions and under certain historical assumptions. In this respect I now believe that I should not assert any conclusions connecting this tomb with any hypothetical one of the NT family. The interpretation of the computation should be that it is estimating the probability of there having been another family at the time whose tomb this might be, under certain specified assumptions. [5]
If This Is the Family Tomb of Jesus, Why Does It Contain so Many Non-Family Members?
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and his family lived in Nazareth. It would be strange enough for his family to be buried together in Jerusalem. Even stranger, why would the family tomb include several non-family members? There is not a shred of historical evidence to account for this inconsistency.
Eusebius, Christianity's earliest historian (fourth century), recorded that there had been a tomb of James the Just, the brother of Jesus, known in Jerusalem since New Testament times. Its location was near the Temple mount and had an honoric stele next to it. The spot was known as a pilgrimage site for many Christians.
“It was apparently a single tomb, with no other holy family members mentioned nor any other ossuaries in that place,” states Dr. Witherington. “The locality and singularity of this tradition rules out a family tomb in Talpiot. Christians would not have been making pilgrimage to the tomb if they believed Jesus' bones were in it—that would have contradicted and violated their faith, but the bones of holy James were another matter. They were considered sacred relics.”
This is clearly not in Talpiot, and remember to claim there is a Talpiot family tomb means that Jesus would have been buried there long before James was martyred in A.D. 62. In other words, the James tradition contradicts the Talpiot tomb both in locale and in substance. James is buried alone, in a completely different place.
The trouble with James, the brother of Jesus, is history says he was buried alone in another tomb.
Verses
- Matthew 27:57–6657Now when even was come there came a rich man of Arimathaea, his name Joseph, who also himself was a disciple to Jesus. 58He, going to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. 59And Joseph having got the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, went away. 61But Mary of Magdala was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulchre. 62Now on the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, 63saying, Sir, we have called to mind that that deceiver said when he was still alive, After three days I arise. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. 65And Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch go, secure it as well as ye know how. 66And they went and secured the sepulchre, having sealed the stone, with the watch [besides].