Bone box of Jesus’ brother discovered in Israel deemed ‘most significant item from time of Christ’

A 2,000-year-old bone box etched with the name of Jesus’ brother discovered in Israel is now on display in the US.

The limestone box, or ossuary, features the inscription ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,’ written in ancient Aramaic.

Because the names correspond to those of Jesus of Nazareth’s brother and father, many speculate that the box once held the remains of James the Just, the first leader of Christians in Jerusalem after the crucifixion.

The burial box is currently on display at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, as part of an exhibit featuring 350 historical items from the time of Jesus.

The discovery, made in 1976, has been described as ‘the most significant item from the time of Christ,’ according to the exhibit.

However, like many Biblical archaeological finds, the ossuary became embroiled in controversy shortly after its public unveiling 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.

Golan fought to clear his name, and after a ten-year trial, the Israeli antiquities collector was acquitted. Yet, the mystery of the ‘Jesus box’ endures.

Although Golan was cleared of all charges, the judge stated that the verdict ‘does not mean that the inscription on the ossuary is authentic or that it was written 2,000 years ago.’

‘We conducted several chemical tests, particularly on the inscription itself, which is the most critical element of the ossuary,’ Golan told Crosswalk Headlines this week.

‘We proved that the entire inscription is authentic—it was engraved several thousand years ago.’

If authentic, the ossuary would be the oldest physical evidence of Jesus.

During the first century, Jews laid their dead in caves, later collecting the bones to place them in ossuaries.

The box’s authenticity is further questioned by some theologians who believe Mary remained a virgin her entire life, suggesting the ossuary may be a forgery.

However, the box is empty – the bones were lost long ago. 

The Bible mentions Jesus’ brothers several times: James, Jude, Simon, and Joses. James’ name always appears first, implying he was the eldest among them.

Additionally, several biblical passages suggest that James and his brothers did not initially believe Jesus was the son of God.

The limestone box, or ossuary, features the inscription ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,’ written in ancient Aramaic

The discovery, made in 1976, has been described as ‘the most significant item from the time of Christ,’ according to the exhibit

According to Mark 3:21, when Jesus’ family heard about his actions, they went out to ‘seize him’ because they believed he was ‘out of his mind.’ 

James is said to have died as a martyr either in 62AD by being stoned to death on the order of a high priest, or in 69 AD by being thrown off the pinnacle of the Temple by scribes and Pharisees and then clubbed to death.

According to early church history, high priests were on a mission to stop the idea that Jesus was the Savior from spreading following the crucifixion. 

Golan said he bought the James Ossuary when he was a student of engineering in Israel.

‘I didn’t recognize its importance at all,’ Golan said.

A study in 2015 set out to determine if the James Ossuary may have come from a tomb believed to belong to Jesus’ family.

The Talpiot tomb was found in south of the Old City in East Jerusalem in 1980, and contained six burial boxes with the names of Jesus’ brother, father and mother.

Researchers conducted a chemical analysis on the James Ossuary, finding it contained signatures from the boxes found in the family tomb.

James is said to have died as a martyr either in 62AD by being stoned to death on the order of a high priest, or in 69 AD by being thrown off the pinnacle of the Temple by scribes and Pharisees and then clubbed to death

Another artifact bearing the name of Jesus’ brother was found in 2017 – a 1,600-year-old heretical document describe how Jesus passes on knowledge of heaven and future events, including James’ inevitable death.

The text, from the story the ‘First Apocalypse of James’, refers to James as Jesus’ brother, though ‘not materially’. 

The story was deemed ‘forbidden’ because writings that added to or changed the existing New Testament in any way were not permitted.

It forms part of the Nag Hammadi library, a series of 52 religious manuscripts written sometime between the 2nd and 6th Century AD.

Spread across 13 leather-bound vellum codices found buried in Egypt, they are of a heretical tradition known as Gnosticism – an early, mysterious form of Christianity.