Although the identity of the great founder of the Christian religion of Jesus of Nazareth known to man two thousand years, until recently there was the evidence of His earthly existence, in addition to the written evidence. And here at the end of October of last year, the journal of Biblical archaeological journal" reported the sensational discovery, leaving no doubt the real existence of this largest in the history of the figure. For atheists this fact means the confirmation of the historicity of Christ and the believers he gives great joy of receiving one of the greatest Christian Holy places.

According to the editor of "Biblical archaeological Bulletin" Herschel Shanks, fifteen years ago, a Jerusalem collector, who refused to be named, came upon the bench of an Antiques dealer in the southern part of the Holy city at the Olive mountain. Analyzing the archaeological finds on store shelves, collector has paid attention to one funeral urn of yellowish limestone size of half a meter, it would seem, no different from many other excavated by archeologists on the territory of Jerusalem. Such ballot boxes, as far as he knew collector, was done in the first century ad and was intended for the storage of the bones of the deceased. They were brought label - the name of the deceased, and sometimes the name of his father. This urn, there was some inscriptions, but a lover of antiquity did not looking at him, and, seduced reasonable price - just $ 700, had this strange relic. If he knew that he had got hold of the thing, not having rates!

After some time an anonymous collector accidentally met at one of the secular parties in Jerusalem with known expert on biblical archaeology, linguist, Professor of Sorbonne Andre Lemaire and offered him to become acquainted with his purchase, and the inscription on it. Soon scientist visited the collector and looked at the ballot box. When he saw the writing on the Aramaic language (Aramaic - the most ancient middle Eastern tribes) and it was dismantled, then... lost the gift of speech. The urn was: "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"!

As mentioned above, usually on burial urns was painted the name of the deceased and his father's name. The reference in this case related (fraternal) communication with the deceased Jesus gives, according to scientists, the special importance of labels and serves as a weighty argument in favor of identity mentioned the brother of James, on the one hand, and Jesus Christ on the other! By the way, these names and their relationship is confirmed by the text of the New Testament, where Jesus is called the son of Joseph, and Jacob, one of the brothers of Jesus. According to the Holy Bible, Jacob officially accepted Jesus as his brother during the census. Since then, the Apostle James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, referred to as the "brother of the Lord in the flesh."

The James Ossuary And Restored Inside

However, as to whether relatives Christ followers of His teachings at the Savior's earthly life, there are different views. John clearly States, "His brothers did not believe him." Saint mark confirms: "Relatives (except the mother, of course. - Primed) thought he had lost his mind". In the words of St. Jerome Murphy O'connor from the Institute of Bible and archeology in Jerusalem, according to these testimonies, "Jesus was a disgrace to his family." But the biblical scholar of the Painter in his recent book Fair Jacob says that if Jacob was not significant figure among the followers of Jesus (and he believed in Christ after he had seen his brother risen!), "he could not be so quick to lead the Christian Church in Jerusalem." Moreover, the Apostle James was martyred from opponents of Christianity in 62, : at the instigation of the Jewish high priest Ananus he was stoned and dropped from the roof of the temple. To spend Dating urns radiocarbon method failed because of the absence in it of the bones of the deceased. However, Armenian Christians say that the bones of the Apostle stored in the Cathedral of Old Jerusalem.

A certain group of researchers, showing known careful not to hurry with approval that found convincing material evidence of the actual existence of Christ. Before voicing any concerns about this, they believe, it is necessary to carefully examine the place of discovery.

Stricter requirement puts forward a Professor at bard College in new York Bruce Chilton. In his opinion, to establish the truth should always find out where it was found funerary urn for over two thousand years. It is clear that such clarification still looks very problematic.

Another reason for scientific debate itself serves as the inscription on the box. Historians note the fact that in Galilee and Judea I century was in the course of a relatively small circle of names and the greatest distribution had names, Joseph, Jacob, and Jesus. The name of Jacob, for example, only in the New Testament 42 times. However, already known to us the biblical scholar Professor of Sorbonne Andre Lemaire believes that the probability of random, meaningless, appearing in such situation the three names in one label is no more than one percent! It shows the particular importance of the label. Extremely rare Professor believes double, so to speak, the determination of the identity of Jacob in inscriptions as the son of Joseph, and as a brother of Christ. However opponent Lemaire Australian expert Professor John Painter sure that the label of the first century of the new era that refer to Jesus as the family member (brother), be sure it would add (as is done in the New Testament) - "the Lord Jesus".

The gospel of Mark says that Jacob was one of the four brothers of Jesus (he had two sisters). Together with them, Jacob remained in Nazareth, when Jesus went to preach and to work miracles in the countryside. But concerning his brothers and sisters there are different opinions.

Early tradition Dating II century claims that the brothers and sisters of Christ were not born of Mary, and were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. This view is prevalent in Eastern Orthodox theology. The tradition of the fourth century, developed the eminent biblical scholar of his time by Saint Jerome, interprets the brothers and sisters of Jesus as his cousins, born brother Joseph Clobazam and his wife Maria. As you can see, both traditions retain faith in lifelong virginity of the virgin Mary, revered by Roman Catholics. After the reformers of the Church questioned the virginity of Mary, Protestants started to argue that after the birth of Jesus, she gave birth to Joseph's other children. Thus, according to modern theologians, all made three versions of the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ have an equal right to exist, and agreement on this issue is unlikely to be achieved without new archaeological finds.

So, anyway, the Apostle James was the only family member of Jesus, have left their mark in the early history of the Christian Church. Together with the Apostle Peter he, contrary to the Apostle Paul, claimed that Christians must keep the Torah (the Pentateuch - the first five books of the Bible). Apparently, that he was the author of "James", which, according to the biblical scholar Patrick Harten from Gonzaga University in the city of Spokane, Washington (USA), provides the most convincing testimony of faith in Jesus Christ "infinite diligence". After the martyrdom of James his place as the leader of the Jerusalem Church community took cousin Simeon.

Thus, funerary urn with unique historical inscription contains not only the earliest mentioning about Jesus, and returns the memory of believers tragic figure of his brother James.