Brother of Jesus : The Dramatic Story and Significance of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus and His Family - Softcover

Shanks; Witherington, Ben, III

3.41

127 ratings by Goodreads

9780826474308: Brother of Jesus : The Dramatic Story and Significance of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus and His Family

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0826474306 ISBN 13: 9780826474308

Publisher: Continum, 2004

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Towards the end of 2002, Andre Lemaire, from the Sorbonne, discovered, whilst visiting a Jewish antiquities dealer, an ossuary - or bone box - which bears the inscription 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus'. This discovery immediately caused wide-spread international interest and it was heralded as the most important archaeological discovery ever about Jesus. In The Brother of Jesus, Hershel Shanks, who has been at the forefront in making archaeological discoveries known and understood by the public (for example, the Dead Sea Scrolls), joins forces with renowned scholar Ben Witherington to recount the discovery and the authentication of the ossuary in compelling detail. After having examined the scientific evidence and the palaeography of the inscription, Hershel Shanks concludes that the inscription on the ossuary is genuine. Witherington examines its implications for understanding Jesus, and his family and followers, and offers a unique insight into the early days of Christianity and the Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem, which was led by Jesus' brother James. The Brother of Jesus explains why this discovery matters. Andre Lemaire has written a foreword for the book.

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Review:

Before lay readers can grasp the significance of this book, they’ll need a little historical reference. In the time of Jesus, the Jews of Jerusalem often buried their dead in tombs. After a year, when the flesh had disintegrated, it was customary to gather the bones and place them in a small limestone chest called an ossuary. Sometimes the name of the deceased would be inscribed onto the outside of the box. Flash forward to the spring of 2002 when Andre Lemaire, a specialist in ancient texts, was asked to read the Aramaic inscription on an ossuary that was owned by a collector in Israel. When Lemaire translated the inscription--"James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"--he knew he had just stumbled upon an artifact in the same caliber as the lost Ark of the Covenant.

Just as this artifact is now in safe hands, so is the amazing story of its discovery. Co-authors Hershel Shanks (The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls) and Ben Witherington III (The Jesus Quest) are esteemed scholars as well as riveting storytellers. They expertly recount the exciting moments of discovery and the darker moments of despair (at one point the ossuary is improperly shipped and breaks into five pieces). They build a convincing case against its forgery and offer a flourishing finish in which they delve into the life of James, who was a linking force between the Jews and Christian of the first millennium, and could possibly continue that role into the second millennium. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Hershel Shanks is editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review and was a leading figure in making the complete Dead Sea Scrolls available to the world. Ben Witherington is an expert on the historical Jesus and New Testament.

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