Recently, the book entitled “The Jesus Family Tomb” was released in bookstores, in addition the Discovery Channel aired a documentary on the same information called “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” on March 4, 2007. It was directed by Simcha Jacovici and produced by James Cameron, in order to argue that they may have found the bones of Jesus of Nazareth. The documentary pertained to ossuaries, which are burial boxes that were found in Jerusalem in 1980. Out of the ten ossuaries that were discovered, three they claim to be Jesus of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene and Judah son of Jesus. Although, they have produced a well developed film, is there really any evidence to their claim or is it pure speculation?

The suggested theory rests on the foundation that “Mariamene e Mara” is claimed to be Mary Magdalene and DNA testing supposedly proves that the ossuaries of Jesus, son of Joseph and Mariamene are not mother and son, but instead they imply that they are husband and wife. It is true that Jacovici, did do DNA testing on the small samples from the boxes of Mariamene and Jesus, Son of Joseph, HOWEVER, it was Mitochondrial DNA. This can only prove evidence regarding a mother and son relationship, not a father and daughter relationship. Therefore, this does not give any evidence to “Jesus, son of Joseph” and “Mariamene” being husband and wife. Read what Dr. James R. White wrote in his findings, “Will the book honestly discuss the limitations of mitochondrial DNA? Will they admit that such analysis can only speak to maternal relations, not to paternal relations? Will they tell us what Dr. Carney Matheson has confirmed that such a test cannot rule out that Jesus, son of Joseph was the father of Mariamne? Or will they spin the results? The answer was: spin, spin, spin. Look at this direct quote from the conclusion, page 207: “However, they were able to extract mitochondrial DNA from both the Jesus and Mariamne ossuaries. This allowed them to confirm that these were indeed Middle Eastern people of antiquity and that they were not related.” This is simply false. In an e-mail dated 2/26/07 Dr. Matheson frankly stated, “This can only identify maternal relationship of which the two remains do not share.”[1]

In addition, Mariamene is stated to be Mary Magdelen. She “has been associated with the woman in the city who was a sinner (Luke 7:37), who washed Jesus feet, but there is no scriptural basis for this. She is also associated with the woman whom Jesus saved from stoning after she had been taken in adultery (John 8:1-11) – again an association with no evidence.”[2] Jacovici makes the bold statement that she is the same Mariamene in a Gnostic gospel called the “Acts of Philip” (read it here ) however, there is NO evidence in this piece either. Once again, it is all pure speculation in the eyes of a journalist.

This is not so in the eyes of the witnesses that interacted with Jesus Christ, after His resurrection. “A great variety of persons testified that they had seen Jesus alive. He was seen on several different occasions and in various locations.”[3] Jesus the Christ “appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time” (1 Cor. 15:5-6).

Speculation is the cornerstone for the movie The Lost Tomb of Jesus, but evidence reported from eyewitnesses is only one element at the foundation for the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Do you want to build on speculation or evidence?

“And Jesus said to them, why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts” See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (Luke 24:38-40)”

Deanna

(1) White, James Dr., http://www.aomin.org/
(2) Lockyer, Herbert Sr., Nelson’s Illustrated Bible, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN,Thomas Nelson, 1986.
(3) Erickson, Millard, Christian Theology Second Edition, Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Academic,1998.