The Middle East Blog, TIME

February 27, 2007 8:26

Questions of the Day, Part 1

Posted by Phil Zabriskie | Comments (945) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

Two big questions on the docket today in Jerusalem, one regarding events of long ago, one about events in the here and now (and possibly the future), both fraught with implications for millions and millions of people.

The first, as you may have heard (and many have, judging by the more than 3,000 comments on Tim's earlier post) concerns the documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which asserts that Jesus and his family, including a wife and a child, were buried in a tomb initially unearthed in 1980 in the East Talpiyot neighborhood of Jerusalem. Naturally, such claims arouse resistance, and some anger. Already a host of questions have been raised on the scientific front. The Jerusalem archaeologist who first examined the site, Prof. Amos Kloner, told The Jerusalem Post, "It makes a great story for a TV film. But it's completely impossible. It's nonsense." Others have said it's an interesting hypothesis, they'd like to see further investigations and such, but generally even the support has been lukewarm at best. It's not nearly as bad as Geraldo Rivera claiming to have located Al Capone's secret vault, and opening up an empty basement on live TV, but it seems unlikely that the rest of the world will be quite as taken with the findings as are the filmmakers.

Which is fine. They put out a theory and others can contest it, try to prove or disprove it, or ignore it. Maybe it will inspire arguments about the objectivity of science, about the nature of faith, about whether it is important that certain stories be literally true, and about how, in this region, archaeology can be at times political. All good things to discuss, especially nowadays. I tend to doubt, though, that even firmer evidence in this case would have a great deal of impact in the long run. The filmmakers are suggesting that they can disprove a miracle--the resurrection--that they can use reason and science to disprove something that many people believe occurred beyond the realms of reason and science. To put it another way, they are trying to show that something that should not be able to happen did not actually happen.

Those arguing for and against are arguing on different planes. That's not to say the questions shouldn't be asked. They should, because they inform discussions on the role of faith in a society, the nature of faith itself, and the political ramifications of both, which are on display here and in many other places, sometimes tragically. This film, the 3,000-plus comments on the earlier post, the rituals most every religion requires--these things show how individuals and societies feel that faith is something that must constantly be maintained, how for the faithful the primacy of belief must repeatedly be reasserted over science and doubt and whatever else might challenge it, how convulsive it can be to a believer or a society of believers when core elements of a faith, any faith, are questioned. Clearly this triggers something far more primal and deeply rooted in the human psyche than contemporary issues do. A fascinating post saying a Saudi diplomat is acting like a de facto American Secretary of State gets, at last count, 16 comments, and a report about a documentary that's been received primarily with skepticism gets 3,000? Something has indeed been unearthed by the documentary, just as something crucial is unearthed, and revealed, about our species by many claims, trends, or images that challenge the tenets of particular faiths and the stories those faiths tell about themselves.
--Phil Zabriskie/Jerusalem

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Reader Comments (945)

Kathleen "Kathy" Werstein:

On Life, "Death", and Life again, I firmly believe that: when we "die", or body dies; our soul continues on, in any form we want, except to exchange or coexist with any one else's; our souls are made of energy-so the imprint of my husband's soul implies. Here is my true (love) story:

Since age three, I have been hearing voices in my mind; have dreams of personal, future events and had a Near Death Experience. Through these experiences, I have had my life saved numerous times, and had been guided through hints, to meet and marry my true love; soul mate, Rob.

As wonderful as all this may seem so far, Rob and I did not meet each other until we both had two marriages behind us, and were in our forties!

Here's how we met: In 1994, I placed an ad in the Personals section of the "Nifty Nickel" paper, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although many men (including Rob) responded, Rob was the only man I wanted to be with. During one of Rob's and my first few dates together, was when I realized that all the paranormal-type messages I had received during my life, brought me to that very moment in time; that Rob was the man I had been in search of, for all those years. The knowing was so overwhelming for me, that I could never explain any of it to Rob.

After two months of our dating, I moved in with him at his house. A year later, we married. While we were still newlyweds, Rob passed. However, I've really never been apart from Rob. Since Rob's passing, he's come to me in several different paranormal forms: As being a mist by my side; talking to me in his same, familiar voice; as being a big, bright star in the sky; appearing to me with wearing new clothes, and in so many other ways. He somehow manages to have our wedding song be playing on the radio station I'd be listening to at the exact same time of when I'd also be feeling the most distressed. The alarm on the wrist watch Rob wore for work, still sounds off at the same time, every day, over nine years since his passing, with the same, original battery Rob had put in his watch! Rob had given me a special, precious gift-an imprint of his soul on my bedroom window's screen as proof of his visiting me one very early morning, when he then touched my body the way I had touched his, immediately after he passed.

Like the words to the wedding song Rob and I left to fate to choose for us implies, the love Rob and I feel for each other, will surely last forever.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you.

Kathleen Werstein

Posted by Kathleen "Kathy" Werstein | March 1, 2007 2:32 AM

Getridofthemafter6:

It was actually the tomb of Jimmy Hoffa.

Posted by Getridofthemafter6 | March 1, 2007 5:25 AM

lol:

What?

What did that have to do with the tomb thing?

@.@

Posted by lol | March 1, 2007 5:47 PM

Richard D. Weber:

If you watched the follow-up segment after the "docu-drama" Ted Koppel voiced my question right out of the shoot.
"Why didn’t you conduct DNA tests on the other ossuaries, those of
Joseph, and Maria in particular, to determine parental links?" The film's director
begged off by saying there wasn't sufficient residue to conduct testing of the other alleged family members. It was disappointing from my view. They didn’t address the Cohen Modal Haplotype (the standard genetic signature of the Jewish priestly family) nor was any carbon dating done.
The FBI’s combined DNA Index System or CODIS has a DNA marker taken from the Shroud of Turin, which was taken by a top geneticist from the U of Arizona, Tucson, who was also co-developer of the CODIS system. Now comparing the footprint from Jerusalem with the Shroud would have been interesting.
I have to agree with Ted that the science was hyped, chopped into sound bites, and not followed to sufficient and logical conclusions.
The patina test was also bogus or a best--misleading. The trial they referred to involving Golan, the alleged antiquities dealer and forger of the James Brother of Jesus ossuary, demonstrated through expert testimony, the process of crafting fake patina residue. A tablet alleged to be from Solomon’s Temple was originally authenticated because the patina was accurate for that time and region that it was supposed to come from. Later forensic examination showed how the patina could be faked and created by one who knew the exact tests that would be run by forensic archeologists. Indicted along with Golan were forensic and linguistic experts who were also charged as principals in the fraud.
Photo of Fake Tablet :
http://www.baptiststandard.com/2003/2_3/images/joashtablet.jpg
Then there was the fake Solomon’s Temple Pomegranate, which later, under electron-microscope examination showed modern tool markings and metal residue.
By throwing in the James ossuary as bolstering their probability statistics, the producers muddied their logic and science.

The Masonic Connection? The director throws out tantalizing teasers in his interviews on
Youtube …
Link to interviews not seen in film: http://rdweber17.tripod.com/id41.html
…. concerning the chevron and dot within over the tomb’s entrance, but it was never discussed in the film.

Would any scholars like to way in on if this symbol was used in that time period of the first century, specifically by Essenes or Judaean rabbis?
I have seen use of the pentacle in Paleo-Hebrew artwork or talismans but not the so-called all-seeing eye. Just pointing to the Egyptian origins doesn’t connect the dots. Plus the director’s interview hints that the Templars carved the symbol over the tomb after finding it … no mention was made as to determining the age of the carving or how the same symbol was then found on the ossuary of Simon they showed which had been discovered in the Jesuit monastery. Or why the Templars, according to their reasoning, left the tomb untouched.
I brought out the use of the eye in the pyramid in my novel and also referred to Jacopo’s the Supper at Emmaus and other tapestries and artwork etc. in the Vatican some time ago.
Maybe I should give Lewis Perdue a ring …J

Posted by Richard D. Weber | March 5, 2007 10:16 AM

Shawn:

It is still VERY compelling. All these arguments against the idea want 100% confirmation (that's most likely not going to happen). Isn't it enough that all these ossuraries were found in the same tomb? Ironically many catholics buy into many of the writings in the bible, with zero evidence. To me this is most substantial archeological find in history. Even if there was 100% confirmation religious fundamentalist would have their doubts because they would have to question many aspects of their faith. Let's stop just believing and compile some evidence on this supposed son of god who lived once upon a time. This is undoubtedly the closest we have to come to discovering any historical truth. Open your minds. I would like to see groundbreaking (literally) analysis of this theory immediately, before evidence becomes more tainted.

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