An ancient ossuary inscribed with the words "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" in now on display at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, sparking renewed controversy and debate over its authenticity and historical significance. The 2,000-year-old limestone box is part of an exhibition featuring 350 historical artifacts from the time of Jesus.
Believed by some to have once held the remains of James the Just—the brother of Jesus and the first leader of Christians in Jerusalem after the crucifixion—the ossuary was originally unveiled in 2002. Its inscription, written in ancient Aramaic, immediately drew global attention. Many saw it as a potential breakthrough discovery, with some describing it as "the most significant item from the time of Christ."
However, the James Ossuary soon became entangled in controversy. In 2003, its owner, Oded Golan, was accused of forging the inscription. Experts alleged that he had added the phrase "brother of Jesus" to the box. Following a decade-long trial, Golan was acquitted of all charges as he sought to clear his name. Despite the acquittal, the presiding judge noted that the verdict "does not mean that the inscription on the ossuary is authentic or that it was written 2,000 years ago." Skeptics continue to question its authenticity, and the debate remains unresolved.
Golan, an Israeli engineer, maintains the ossuary's genuineness. "We conducted several chemical tests, particularly on the inscription itself, which is the most critical element of the ossuary," he is cited by Crosswalk Headlines. "We proved that the entire inscription is authentic—it was engraved several thousand years ago." He stated that he purchased the ossuary during his student years in Israel but did not initially recognize its importance.
A 2015 study aimed to determine whether the James Ossuary originated from the Talpiot tomb—a site unearthed in 1980 in the south of the Old City in East Jerusalem. The tomb contained six burial boxes bearing the names of Jesus' brother James, his father Joseph, and his mother Mary. Experts conducted a chemical analysis of the ossuary and found that it contained signatures matching those of the boxes found in the Talpiot tomb, suggesting a possible connection.
The practice of using ossuaries was common in the first century, where Jewish people laid their deceased relatives in caves before later collecting the bones to place in these limestone boxes. The James Ossuary is currently empty, with the bones it once held lost years ago.
Historical texts provide insights into the relationships within Jesus' family. The Bible mentions Jesus' brothers several times: James, Judas, Simon, and Joseph. The name James often appears first, suggesting he was the eldest among them. According to Mark 3:21, when Jesus' family heard about his actions, they went to seize him because they believed he "had lost his mind."
James the Just is said to have died as a martyr. Accounts state that he was stoned to death in 62 CE on the order of a high priest. Another account suggests that in 69 CE, he was thrown off the pinnacle of the Temple by scribes and Pharisees before being clubbed to death.
In 2017, another artifact referencing James emerged—a 1,600-year-old document from the story "First Apocalypse of James." The text refers to James as the brother of Jesus, although "not essentially." This manuscript was considered forbidden because writings that added to or altered the existing New Testament were not permitted. It is part of the Nag Hammadi library, a collection of 52 religious manuscripts written between the second and sixth centuries CE. Discovered buried in Egypt, these texts belong to a heretical tradition known as Gnosticism, an early and mysterious form of Christianity.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.