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The "Lost Tomb" of Jesus
Written by Peter Youngren on March 5, 2007As almost everyone knows who watches the news, the Discovery channel just aired a so-called documentary, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus”, produced by Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron of “Titanic” fame. This is just the latest in a series of attacks on the authenticity of the Gospels and Christian belief concerning Jesus. The story line of the film is that Jesus’ family tomb has been found near Jerusalem, that the ossuary (casket) held the bones of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their supposed son, Judah, as well as others from Jesus’ “family”. My friend Dr. Eddie Hyatt made some interesting statements in his newsletter this week. Let me summarize his thoughts and then add a few of my own…
The story line of the film is that Jesus’ family tomb has been found near Jerusalem, that the ossuary (casket) held the bones of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their supposed son, Judah, as well as others from Jesus’ “family”.
1) James Cameron’s goal is to produce an exciting drama and make money, not to uncover historical facts. He is a film-maker, not a historian.
2) When archeologists first discovered this tomb in the 1980’s the find was considered insignificant. Amos Kloner, the district archeologists of Jerusalem oversaw the initial dig and stated “I don’t accept the claim that this tomb was the burial place for the family of Jesus, they just want to get money for it”.
3) The names inscribed on the caskets are all common first century names. Jesus’ specific name was Jesus of Nazareth to distinguish him from Jesus of Bethany or Jesus of Bethsaida. Kloner states, “It was an ordinary middle class Jerusalem burial cave. The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at that time”.
4) All of the epigraphers acknowledge that this inscription of Jesus on the caskets is difficult to decipher. Dr. Stephen Phann of the University of the Holy Land stated after examination of the casket that the writing supposedly of the name Yeshua is more like the Hebrew name “Hanun”. Scholars agree that ancient Hebrew is difficult to decipher.
5) The filmmaker’s statistical probability claim of 600-1 for this being the tomb of Jesus is based on a distortion of facts. Dr. Phann says, “This statement is based upon a number of fallacies and the general misuse of statistics. What database serves as the basis for the status and probability of this claim? There are no surviving genealogies or records of family names in Judea or Galilee to make any statement concerning frequency the various personal names and families here. The only genealogy that appears to have survived is the genealogy of Jesus presented in the Gospels.”
6) Other than the genealogy in the Gospels, the film ignores every historical record about Jesus, including the four Gospels, the book of Acts and Paul’s letters. All of these contain eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and resurrection. Jesus is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus and by Latin and Greek authors, and none of these evidences suggest that Jesus had a wife or family.
7) Millions have experienced the transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In addition to these excellent considerations let me add the following:
1) It is highly unlikely that twelve out of twelve apostles would have been willing to give their life for someone who indeed was not believed by them to be the Son of God, someone who had a wife and family.
2) The Gospels were written 30-60 years after Christ. If these current claims from Hollywood were true, there would be multiple documents written to discredit the Gospel story. The lack of such documents is in and of itself an indication of the validly of what Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us.
3) The release of this documentary and the publicity it is receiving in the news is a reminder that we will never settle the Jesus issue through human wisdom. We do not win people simply by convincing them of the superiority of our arguments over the arguments of the skeptics. It will only be word against word. The reality of Jesus is known by each person who has received new life through Him. We love Him whom our physical eyes have never seen.
Your thoughts?
Marika Mitra
Yes, I agree 100% with all what you write about what we can experinece this days and what is your toughts. I appreciate and support such kind of toughts to be added to this new ‘senzational hunter sezon’...
Thank you for sharing with us. I see the documentry last weekend at CNN and my husband is working on 600 wooden crosses for us to start our own ministry. My first reaction was in this kind of circumstances, sure for every year now we can experience a new attack on the authenticity of the Gospels and our Christian belief concerning Jesus BUT I rememberd the Words from Ecclesiastes’ Vapor of Vapors and futility of futilities! All is vanity( emptiness, falsity, and vinglory)’ YES, thank God! Because The Cross of my Savior it’s not just a simbol for me, it is an authenticity witch cannot be swiched, misleaded from such kind of news. In my Hungarian version Bible the whole first chapter is about what kind the unstable, vanishing pleasures and empty satisfaction have those who live merely ‘under the sun’ and it’s titeled: It’s nothing new under the Sun. This was my first reaction. Second? I no wonder those who are not aware that all the affirmative answears to life are to be found in Him Who is above, are searching in other places to find that happiness which we have. And doesn’t matter how hard they try, we not loose our sure fondation which is laid in the Word of God because Jesus created a safe space in our heart on the cross. ‘He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.’ John 19,30
GOD IS WITH US_IMMANUEL! Nothing and nobody can separate us from Him.It is FINISHED and nobody can change that!
(Sorry about my English still I am searching for somebody or to find my partner who will translate for me from Hungarian to English to express myself better. Maybe you know somebody in your congregation?)
I appreciate everything and thank you again, God bless you!
Marika-Life Coach and Spiritual Mentor
647-801-LIFE(5433) or 416-236-3709
Guillermo Amador Jr
Another attempt by the enemy to plant doubt and unbelief.
My prayer for those who are being used by the enemy to discredit the Gospel, is to have a Demascus road experience just as the Apostle Paul did when he was being used to persecute the church.
betty Duncan
Hello Peter,,I agree with what you said,,, the world is trying to discredit our Lord and Saviour, Jesus,, but we,, His family know without a doubt that He is risen and there are no boxes with His bones in them,,,Praise His Holy Name,,betty
Tina Beamer
As a Christian of 30 years, saved by the grace and power of Jesus Christ during a crisis situation in my life, when I first clearly heard His voice after calling out to a God I did not know, I can safely say that Jesus is alive. He is who He said He is. Jesus Christ is alive, and able to speak to anyone who will seek Him. I called out to God and cried out at a horrific time in my life prior to being saved that if Jesus was real, ‘I need to know, and I need to know right now.’ And that wonderful, loving, compassionate Savior, Healer, Life Giver, Redeemer, High Priest, Intecessor, Advocate, and perfect Sacrifice of God, answered me the moment I called out to Him in earnest humility. In one moment, without knowing one other born-again believer, Jesus saved my soul and my life, and I would challenge anyone to simply ask Him directly if He is who He said He is. He is alive and willing to let all know who He is, who God is, and that His precious Holy Spirit is ready to live on the inside of anyone who will merely ask. Simply ask, James Cameron and skeptics, simply ask.
Anna di palma
I believe that Jesus was truly the Son of God, virgin born and He lived without sin, even tho he was part man and part God. However, even (supposing) that he had married, (and I don’t believe he did) since His father ordained marriage what would the problem be with that. Marriage is not sin. I don’t believe he had the time to be married as the word is explicit how a man should care for his family and that takes time, and He was about His Father’s business.
William Hooper
Brothers,
While I appreciate your research and uphold your conclusions I was none the less surprised that you made no mention of God’s own perspective on this storm-in-a-teacup. Consider His words in Isaiah 53: 8 where it is written: By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants?
Here is a mystery? Two verses later the Holy Spirit says: ... and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days.
No born again believer doubts that Jesus truly is the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega… yet we see from these references that he had no physical descendants when he first walked among us yet apparently will have them at some future time.
Two thousand plus years have passed since Christ Jesus was resurected and seated at the right hand of the Father. Has anyone ever been a bachelor longer than Jesus?
Almost every book in the Bible alludes to the Lamb’s wedding. One particularly intriguing verse even talks about ‘the Queen who stands by His side.’ He is called the ‘Last Adam’ and in Ecclesiastes it is written ‘Everything which has been shall be again.’
These and many other verses fairly shout to me that in all liklehood there is also going to be a Last Eve! How else would ‘Jesus Christ, a man’ be able to see his offspring and qualify for Isaiah’s breathless description of Him as ‘Wonderful, counsellor, everlasting father and prince of peace.’
How is it we all readily acknowledge that Joseph, Moses, King David and others are ‘shadows and types’ of Jesus but ignore the fact that they were all married men?
Will the Father withold ANY good thing from the Son of His love? Don’t we who are in Christ look forward to spending eternity with Him yet also with our families and friends? Is He who gave His all going to be the only man among us to be eternally denied the joy and pleasure of raising a family with a wife who utterly adores him?
How can He be First and Last in all things unless He takes the name ‘husband’ to Himself as well. Isaiah saw more than most of us care to think about when he wrote: the Lord is my husband and my maker.
jeannesemitarabana
Iwatched all this drama on cnn, at that moment I thanked God for being a member of NCC where everything the pastor preaches is right from the Holy Bible. There will be many Camerons claiming whatever they want to claim for either fame or whatever. I advise my christian brothers and sisters that any time there is any doubt about chritianity, just get the Bible, read and ask God to make you understand. God bless. Jeanne
Pastor jagadeesh prasad,
I am sure that this is the last days & many antichrists have appeared to fight against the church of Jesus but as Jesus said gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.The empty tomb is the proof of His resurrection.Ephesian 6:14-16’stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on…..above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
James M.
I don’t know much about the names given at the time other than what I read from the Bible. With 7 Mary’s mentioned in the New Testament, and 2 of them having 2 identically named sons (James, Joseph (or Joses)) in the same book, it seems these names were quite common and it is no wonder why archaeologists consider this ‘find’ insignificant.
SAUBAAN ABDUL-SALAAM
Dear Pastor Peter,
You are very correct about James Cameron. He motive is to produce an exciting movie and make money.
(1 John 2:15,16) Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. James Cameron is an agent of (SATAN) the devil, which satan is using to prepare a way for antichrist.
The Bible warn us against the antichrist. (1 John 2:18,19) Children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrist have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
The antichrist will come to cause confusion amonge the Church and the believer and to snatch us from the hand of my Lord and my Savior. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, The bread of my life and The Good Shepard. Glory be thy name Amen.
Katrina of the Stormless
The bones that were found were of a Jesus of Jerusalem. My Jesus was from Nazareth. The name and place where an individual was born was very significant in the Bible, there are numerous accounts of it in the many geneolgies found there. Also, before the resurrection, the body of Jesus was placed in a borrowed tomb, not a family plot. The documentary is a plot to discredit God and God’s plan for the world, to bring us back to our true standing with God, as an heir to the kingdom.
anna dii palma
Well, I am not surprised at all!
There is Jewish group or sect I believe in Israel who want to bring back all the true Christians back to the law of Judaism instead of the other way. This profanity makes a lot of people indecisive. It makes people have doubts even loving Christians - I think it is the work of the power of satan to deceive us.
No one - no one - no writer, philosopher, doctor, prophet, angel can turn us away from the ‘grace’ of our lord the Christ, Jesus.
I am mad because not only is Cameron making money he is trying to take away Christ from poor unsuspecting people who truly want to be near to Jesus. It too will pass…... Anna
BRENDA SPOONER
~ CANADA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
What next? Jesus was born of a virgin, died for the worlds sins (past, present, future)was taken to heaven & right now is sitted on the right hand of god till all shall here the gospel. Hes returning very soon!!!!!!!! Just like the show the Divinci C ode. Get real. People are so twisted today, I pray right now in the name of Jesus the bloodconvenant over each and every person.(sinner or Christian) we all need to be reminded daily of the blood of Jesus, Jesus is lord! He reigns most high, He’s my rock!! My Savior!! My guidance!! My everything!! Praise his name 4-ever, ever. Amen
Charles Marcello Lado
I am very thankful to the man of God Rev Peter for his writings when I read it in news parper I was not happy and special us who are in the Abra world it conformed to the other people who are agains faith that it is nothings but brother thank God that the foundation of the kingdom of God cannot be sheken Jesus of Nazerit rosed from the death he is not here and I believed his is coming back
Lesley
This so called ‘found tombo of Jesus’ makes me want to laugh: as well as, cry laugh that they say they found the so called bones of Jesus in this tomb, even after it clearly states in the Bible taht Jesus ascended into heaven and when Mary went back to the tomb on the third day she did not even see bones which means that there were no bones or anything but the cloth left behind.. but makes me want to cry cause of the many people whom have not yet heard the Gosple that may and will be impacted by this.
All of this is showing me that there is a need for more and more people to go out into all the world and share the Gospel with everyone the young, old, poor, rich, sick, healthy, and even those whom may have a mental illness for that is the calling of every Christian. and it is my prayer that this so called finding will not deceive any one who may have heard the gospel in part or in whole or even those whom have not yet heard the gospel.
this is my thoughts and feelings as well os prayer
Lesley
charles mapema
we chrstian have to be challenge by so many ways this film is an example let as make more miracle.
Dudley Fairbairn
I believe that Jesus died, rose again and ascended to heaven. That the names on the osuaries did corespond with Jesus’ family names according to to some archaeologists cannot be disputed. The conclusion that I came to was: It was a conspiricy by the religious leaders of 2000 thousand years ago who hated Yahshua ha Mashiyach [Jesus the Messiah]. The devil is a stragetist he had it planned 2000 years ago. He was the brain behind the planting of the ossuaries [caskets]of the so-called family of Jesus in that one single tomb. Jesus and His family were hated by high priest and his kind. That they allowed Jesus the trouble-maker’s family to add another ossuary everytime a family member died is beyond comprehension, seeing that the early church was severly persecuted. The finding of the family tomb of Jesus our wonderful Lord and Savior is the greatest hoax of our time. God bless you pastor Peter.
Comments:
kim
A very interesting and poignant report Pastor. I’m very glad you wrote about it. It is a humanistic report riding on the coat tails of the Davinci code I’m sure. Like you’ve said before each person has to receive and believe their own revelation of who Jesus is. Only then will a person be able to decipher truth or not, only when the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit of God resides within. May I add even if it says Yeshua on that box there were many Joesphs at the time too. Wasn’t Jesus laid on a rock table in the tomb and wasn’t it a rich mans tomb. Would not there have been an inscription also of the tie to king David as well? How was it that a whole family and sisters ect. buried together? They’d have to keep opening up the tomb as each one died.Also there is the fact that 500 people plus as you said Historian(s) also recorded his resurection and the diciples plus believers saw His assension, so this is like fish left out on a counter for three days; begins to smell really bad. I don’t think Christians need to give this junk any further thought except to pray for these two very misguided people and the ones who want to believe their story.