What About the James Ossuary?
One of the most frequent questions I get when giving public lectures around the country is “What about the James ossuary–has it been proved to be a forgery?” The confusion on this matter, fueled by many inaccurate and outdated news reports and Internet pieces, is considerable. It is difficult to sort out the facts. One of the better and more judicious treatments of the subject was that of Professor Joseph Fitzmeyer published in Theology Today (52:4), but unfortunately it did not receive a wide circulation. I am pleased to report that it is now available on-line at the BAS Web site. The photo at the right was taken in Noveber, 2002 at the Toronto exhibit of the James ossuary at a private viewing arranged for scholars. Here you see Professors Fitzmeyer and Frank Cross examining the inscription and discussing its features.
Also, at the same Web site one can download a complete report (PDF file) on the Conference on Forgery that met in Jerusalem in January, 2007. This gathering of leading scholars of various views met to assess a number of well-known artifacts that had in recent years been labeled as forgeries, including the James Ossuary. There is an appendix to this report with the latest materials related to the James ossuary, including expert testimony on the authenticity of the photographs that owner Oded Golan had submitted as evidence of his long-term ownership and the inscription’s authenticity.