Jesus and the Ossuaries

In 2002 an inscribed limestone ossuary or burial box was taken from a private collection and revealed to the world. The most astonishing thing about this ossuary was the inscription which read James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus'. This book is not about the discovery per se (which is covered in a number of other books) but it seeks to use the discovery as an opportunity of highlighting and investigating Jewish burial practices of which it is a part. Putting questions of authenticity asie, Evans discusses a corpus of other ossuaries, largely Palestinian and dating mostly from c.20 BC to AD 70, which provide a context for the find. He explains how these ossuaries and other inscriptions and texts provide insights into burial practices, customs, names, family relationships, social standing, religious beliefs and how they clarify the teachings of the New Testament.

InJesus and the Ossuaries, Craig A. Evans helps all readers, experts and laypersons alike, understand the importance this recent find might have for the quest for the historical Jesus and any historical reconstruction of early Christianity. Evans does this by providing an overview of the most important archaeological discoveries, before examining nine other inscriptions (six on ossuaries, three on stone slabs) that pertain in one way or another to the historical Jesus. He then surveys the arguments for and against the authenticity and identification of the recently discovered James Ossuary. Evans concludes his volume with a measured consideration of the historical value of the archaeological data afforded by the several inscriptions.