[whmatthews]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 31,00.html

Jesus’ burial site found - film claims
New film documents discovery of Jerusalem cave containing ten caskets believed to hold remains of Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene and others

Ariella Ringel-Hoffman
Published: 02.23.07, 10:26 / Israel Culture

The cave in which Jesus Christ was buried has been found in Jerusalem, claim the makers of a new documentary film.


If it proves true, the discovery, which will be revealed at a press conference in New York Monday, could shake up the Christian world as one of the most significant archeological finds in history.


The coffins which, according to the filmmakers held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene will be displayed for the first time on Monday in New York.



Jointly produced by Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and Oscar winning director James Cameron, the film tells the exciting and tortuous story of the archeological discovery.



The story starts in 1980 in Jerusalem’s Talpiyot neighborhood, with the discovery of a 2,000 year old cave containing ten coffins. Six of the ten coffins were carved with inscriptions reading the names: Jesua son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Matthew, Jofa (Joseph, identified as Jesus’ brother), Judah son of Jesua (Jesus’ son - the filmmakers claim).



Decades of research

The findings in the cave, including the decipherment of the inscriptions, were first revealed about ten years ago by internationally renowned Israeli archeologist Professor Amos Kloner.


Since their discovery, the caskets were kept in the Israeli Antiquities Authority archive in Beit Shemesh, but now two have been sent to New York for their first public exhibition.


Although the cave was discovered nearly 30 years ago and the casket inscriptions decoded ten years ago, the filmmakers are the first to establish that the cave was in fact the burial site of Jesus and his family.


The film, which documents the stages of the discovery, is the result of three years labor and research. It will be broadcast on the international Discovery Channel, Britain's Channel 4, Canada’s Vision and Israel’s Channel 8, which also took part in the film's production.


According to the filmmakers, the film’s claim is based on close work with world-famous scientists, archeologists, statisticians, DNA specialists and antiquities experts.

[Sly Fox]

Color me beyond skeptical. If the Isreali government really held the goods that would essentially destroy Christianity as we know it, don't you think they would be trumpeting this from the highest mountains?

[Baldspot]

Sounds like a situation where the facts will not matter to some. There was so much persecution going on during the latter stages of the first century that you'd think someone would have noticed the extra coffin lying around the family burial site with the name Jesus inscribed on it and decided perhaps the rest of them didn't need to put up with the persecution anymore and just give up before being martyred.