THE CAIAPHAS OSSUARY (Proposed edits)
The Caiaphas Ossuary is a bone box that archaeologists believe may have belonged to Joseph, son of Caiaphas, known as the High Priest Caiaphas in the New Testament. According to both the Canonical Gospels and the ancient historian Josephus, Caiaphas was the major antagonist of Jesus, (the Jewish rabbi from Nazareth) and his brother James the Just. Scholars doubted the existence of Caiaphas, until an ossuary attributed to him was found in 1990.
History edit
German scholars in the 18th and 19th centuries questioned the historicity of Caiaphas. According to the 20th century Jesus myth theory, he was a fictional character with no basis in historical fact. However in November 1990, near Jerusalem a crypt was uncovered containing twelve ossuaries with a number of coins from the First Century.
One ornate limestone ossuary contained the bones of two infants, a toddler, a young boy, and most importantly the bones of a 60 year old man. It had two very interesting inscriptions. The one at the end of the ossuary read "Yehoseph bar Qph" while the one on the side read "Yehoseph bar Qyph"'. This has led scholars to believe the ossuary belonged to Caiaphas as the vocalization of the inscribed name is Qayapha, the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek "Caiaphas". The ossuary is on display in the Israel National Museum in Jerusalem. [1] [2] [3].
Authenticity edit
Since the original discovery, its authenticity has been challenged on various grounds, including the spelling of the inscription, the lack of any mention of Caiaphas' status as High Priest, the plainness of the tomb.
However the ossuary itself is ornate, as might be expected from someone of the High Priest's rank and family. Furthermore scholars now agree that the ossuary, the bones, the coins and inscription have not been forged or faked. If this find is authentic, it will be an important confirmation of Josephus and the New Testament account, leading to greater understanding of the historical Jesus. [4] [5] [3] [6] [7]
References edit
- ^ Craig A. Evans, Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence, Westminster John Knox Press, 2013. p 97
- ^ The Caiaphas Ossuary Great archaeology, 2010. p 1
- ^ a b "Tomb May Hold the Bones Of Priest Who Judged Jesus"
- ^ Craig A. Evans, Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence, Westminster John Knox Press, 2013. p 98
- ^ Bond, Helen Katharine (2004). Caiaphas: friend of Rome and judge of Jesus?. Westminster/John Knox Press. pp. 4–8. ISBN 978-0664223328.
- ^ James C. VanderKam, From Joshua to Caiaphas: high priests after the Exile Fortress Press, 2004. p 435-436
- ^ The Caiaphas Ossuary Great archaeology, 2010. pp 97-98