The Brother of Jesus: The Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & His Family

by Hershel Shanks, Ben Witherington III

Overview

The first definitive account of what scholars and the media are calling 'the most important archaeological discovery' about Jesus and his family.

This is the definitive story of the recent discovery of the first–century ossuary (limestone bone box) with the legend 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus', and its implications for understanding Jesus, his family (mother, father, brothers), his followers, the first Christians and the Jewish Christian movement in Jerusalem that James led. This ossuary is the first ever archaeological discovery directly confirming the existence of Jesus, and his relationship to his father, Joseph, and brother, James, who became the leader of the important Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem. No one is as qualified and well connected to recount the discovery and its authentication as Hershel Shanks, whose magazine first broke the story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060581176
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/16/2004
Edition description:	Updated and Expanded Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,008,808
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

Hershel Shanks is the premier figure in communicating, through his magazines, books, and conferences, the world of biblical archaeology to general readers. Hershel Shanks is "probably the world's most influential amateur Biblical archeologist," declares New York Times book critic Richard Bernstein. Shanks was also a leading figure in making the complete Dead Sea Scrolls available to the world. He is the editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review, Bible Review, Archaeology Odyssey, and Moment. He is the author and editor of several major books on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jerusalem, and biblical archaeology, including Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple, Christianity and Rabinnic Judaism, The Search for Jesus, Recent Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Archaeology and the Bible, and Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Ben Witherington III is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. The author of more than thirty books, including The Brother of Jesus, he has twice won the Christianity Today award for one of the best biblical studies books of the year, and he has presented seminars for churches, colleges, and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Witherington writes for many church and scholarly publications, is a regular contributor to Christianity Today and Beliefnet.com, and has been featured widely in the national media.

Table of Contents

	Introduction to the Revised Edition	vii
	Introduction	xiii
	Foreword	xvii
Part I.	The Story of A Remarkable Discovery	1
1.	Oh, No!	3
2.	An Amazing Discovery	7
3.	How Could the Son of God Have a Brother?	23
4.	Is It a Fake?	31
5.	Is It the Jesus?	53
6.	Can We Ignore It?	79
Part II.	The Story of James, son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus	89
	Introduction--In His End, a Beginning	91
7.	From Brother to Follower	93
8.	From Follower to Head of the Jerusalem Church	111
9.	James, Mediator Between Jews and Gentiles	127
10.	James the Sage	143
11.	The Death of James	165
12.	James the Legend	177
13.	Brother, Cousin, or Kin?	199
14.	Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus	211
Part III.	Is it A Fake? Where Matters Stand	225
15.	Summary Report of the Examining Committees for the James Ossuary and Yehoash Inscription	227
16.	Don't Close the Box Yet	239
17.	Israel Antiquities Authority's Report on the James Ossuary Is Deeply Flawed	245
18.	Bones of Contention	265
19.	The Top Ten New Testament Archaeological Finds of the Past 150 Years	273
20.	A Curator's Perspective	281
	Acknowledgments	307

Editorial Reviews

Anyone with an interest in archaeology or the historical Jesus will find this book fascinating.” — Booklist

“Readers...will learn much about archaeology and early Christianity from this good example of archaeological and biblical popularization.” — America Magazine

“A most interesting and helpful book...a thorough and balanced job. An essential purchase for libraries of all sizes.” — Library Journal

From the Publisher

Readers...will learn much about archaeology and early Christianity from this good example of archaeological and biblical popularization.

America Magazine

Anyone with an interest in archaeology or the historical Jesus will find this book fascinating.

Booklist

Anyone with an interest in archaeology or the historical Jesus will find this book fascinating.

Booklist

Two distinguished biblical scholars recount the behind-the-scenes story of one of the most important archaeological finds of our time: an inscription on a limestone bone box that provides the first historical evidence for the existence of Jesus and his family.

bn.com

Last October, public notice of a limestone box owned by a Tel Aviv collector electrified the small but intense world of biblical archaeology. It is an ossuary, a container just long enough for a thighbone, the longest bone, and roomy enough to harbor all the bones of one body. Between about 20 B.C. and 70 A.D., Jews used to place bodies in catacombs for a year or so to decompose and then move the bones to an ossuary for safekeeping; archaeologists have recovered hundreds of ossuaries from that relatively brief period.

Carved in Aramaic on the side of this particular box is the inscription Ya'akov bar Yosef achui d'Yeshua, which translates to "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Some people think it once contained the bones of the eldest of Jesus's four brothers, the leader of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem, a martyr who was stoned to near-death before being finished off with a cudgel.

The Washington Post

Last October, biblical archaeologists stunned the world with news that a limestone ossuary with the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" had surfaced in Palestine and may have once contained the bones of James, the early church leader and brother of Jesus of Nazareth. While it may seem a startling claim for the unassuming and unadorned 20-inch box, numerous scholars who have examined the ossuary now vouch for its first-century origins, if not its theological significance. Jews employed ossuaries for a relatively brief historical period (approximately 20 B.C. to A.D. 70), which fits with the textual evidence of James's martyrdom around A.D. 62. This book is the first full-length treatment of the ossuary, and is written by a couple of big guns: Shanks is the editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review (which first broke the story), and Witherington is a seminary professor and author of a score of books on the Bible. Their collaboration is a well-argued and truly fascinating study of the ossuary and its importance. The opening chapters tell of the box's discovery and authentication, while the later chapters discuss its potential relevance and describe what is at stake if the ossuary is genuine. Particularly interesting is the book's discussion of what the ossuary does for Jewish-Christian relations: James, the bishop of Jerusalem, was known for encouraging Christians to retain aspects of their Jewish heritage instead of jettisoning that heritage as Paul had. This engaging book invites readers to ponder the numerous questions and possibilities raised by the ossuary's discovery. (Mar. 18) Forecast: This is simply a huge story-the first book to cover what is arguably the most important biblical archeology bonanza since the Dead Sea Scrolls. The authors have already made the rounds of major media, including national network news programs and interview shows. Timed to release a few weeks before Easter and Passover, this could very quickly sell out its 75,000 copy initial print run. Major media coverage, including an hour-long special on the Discovery Channel, will help move the title. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

When an ossuary (a burial box for bones) with the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" in Aramaic was brought to light in November 2002, it received worldwide attention. The possibility that this artifact was the ossuary of a brother of Jesus of Nazareth and thus the first archaeological discovery of a link to Jesus and his family, captured the imagination of many. Now Shanks (editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, where he first published an article on the subject) and Witherington (New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary) have supplied us with a most interesting and helpful book on the subject. In Part 1, Shanks recounts the questions the find brought, the arguments pro and con concerning the genuineness of the box, and the arguments in support of the claim that the Jesus mentioned in the inscription was the Jesus of Nazareth of New Testament fame. In Part 2, Witherington acquaints us with the life of James. He examines legends about him, the argument that he was a cousin rather than the brother of Jesus, and, finally, what impact this discovery might have for the question of the historical Jesus. Both authors do a thorough and balanced job with the subject matter. The enormous interest in the subject, both by scholars and the general public, makes this book an essential purchase for libraries of all sizes.-David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal