'Bone box of Jesus's brother' discovered in Israel said to have huge significance
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The 'Bone box of Jesus' brother' has been discovered in Israel and is claimed to be the 'most significant item from time of Christ'. A 2,000-year-old bone box etched with the name of Jesus' brother that was found in Israel, is now on display in America.
The limestone box — also called an ossuary — has the inscription 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,' written on it, in ancient Aramaic. Due to the inscription, many have speculated whether the box once held the remains of James the Just, who was the first leader of Christians in Jerusalem after the crucifixion.
Currently on display at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, America, as part of an exhibition featuring 350 historical artefacts from the time of Jesus, the discovery have been described as 'the most significant item from the time of Christ', according to the exhibit.
The discovery of the box was made in 1976, however, like many Biblical archaeological finds, the ossuary became entangled in controversy when it was revealed to the public in 2002. In 2003, its owner, Oded Golan, was accused of forging the inscription, with experts alleging he added the phrase 'brother of Jesus' to the limestone himself. After this accusation, Golan fought to clear his name and following a 10 year trail, he was acquitted. However, the judge did state that the verdict "does not mean that the inscription on the ossuary is authentic or that it was written 2,000 years ago", reports MailOnline.
"We conducted several chemical tests, particularly on the inscription itself, which is the most critical element of the ossuary," Golan told Crosswalk Headlines. "We proved that the entire inscription is authentic — it was engraved several thousand years ago.".
