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The Tomb of Jesus
The Western World has been built on a paradigm that deified a man named Jesus. One of the principle supports of that paradigm has been the dogma of the empty tomb. Christians have not been rational in their view of that information. Part of the reason for this lack of critique is the apparent agreement of the Gospels with Paul. However, neither is that agreement assured nor is it clear that the early church believed in the physical resurrection of Jesus.
First, Mark, the oldest of the canonical gospels originally ended at Mark 16:8. The addition of the longer ending occurred after the death of the last apostle. As all the other gospels were subject to Mark and some other material we have to look first at Mark. Mark ends with the statement that Jesus has been raised, whatever that means, and that he will see the disciples in Galilee. There are no resurrection events like Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 15. There are no meetings in an upper room. There are no walking through walls events.
Luke tells us that Jesus appeared to two people on the road to Emmaus and talk to them. They did not recognize this person. They did not see him as Jesus. That tells us that he was not in a body like our bodies. He was in a glorified body like what Paul speaks of. Jesus was dead. His body was dead. He walks through walls. Only a spirit or a glorified body can walk through walls.
In the 1980’s, archaeologists found a Tomb with the name Joseph Caiphas. They did not doubt that that tomb was the tomb of the High Priest Caiphas. They found the tomb of Simon of Cyrene. They did not doubt that that tomb was inhabited by St. Simon. This tomb was found in 1980 as well.
The Jerusalemites used second burial for a period of 84 years, from 14 BCE until 70 CE. During that time it is estimated that there may have been 80,000 burials in family tombs in Jerusalem.
This tomb had at least 10 ossuaries. That tells us that the Tomb was a family tomb. One of the ossuaries disappeared before it got to the warehouse of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Of the remaining nine ossuaries, six had inscriptions. They were Maria, Yose, Mati, Yeshua bar Yosef, Mariamene e Mara, and Yehudah bar Yeshua. Some of these names were as common as common can be. Everyone was using them. But some were not. The name Maria was written in Hebrew script, but was a Latin transcription. That name was the name of Mary the Mother of Jesus. It was unique. None like it has been found. Yose is a diminutive of Yotzef. It is unique. No other inscription among the thousands found ever had the name Yose. This is important because Scripture tells us that Mary’s name was Maria and that she had a son named Yose.
We know from other sources that Mary’s family had Matthew or Mati as a name. In fact, Levi Alphaeus is Matthew of the Gospel. More than likely, Levi was a cousin of Joseph’s. Joseph’s family also included Mati as a name.
The scientists first DNA testing was on the remains in the ossuaries of Yeshua bar Yotzef and Mariamene e Mara. The finding concluded that these were not brother and sister. Their close proximity and the addition of an additional ossuary saying Yehudah bar Yeshua led the archaeologists to surmise that these people were married and had a child named Yehudah.
The statistician used at the news conference was the most conservative of several consulted. He place the likelihood that this was not the Tomb of Jesus at somewhere between 1/100 and 1/1000. Others have said it is more likely that the number is 1/256,000,000. There were only 250,000,000 people alive in the whole world at the time. For statistical purposes, this is the Tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. For sure, this is the tomb of a family called Bar Yotzef and Jesus son of Joseph is buried there.
Many have heard of the James Ossuary. The patina on the James Ossuary and the patinae on the Jesus Ossuary and the Mariamene Ossuary indicated a perfect match. The likelihoods are almost certain that the James Ossuary came from this tomb. With the addition of the James ossuary, the likelihoods of this being the Holy Family tomb rise to near certainty.
Some have been misinformed about other ossuaries having the inscription, Yeshua bar Yotzef. There has been only one. Professor Sukenik found it. It was not provenanced, that is, it was found in circumstances that raised doubt that it was authentic. This ossuary is provenanced.
The Nasorean Faith does not rest upon the physical resurrection of Jesus. It rests upon the teaching of the Nasorean Sect which began in 168 BCE and continues today. While Jesus is our principle philosophical base, he is based firmly in Torah. His physical death has been widely reported. His physical resurrection is not as firmly reported. This Tomb raises additional questions about a physical resurrection.
If Yeshua was a man, not a g-d, then he died like all of us. Professor Schonfield’s claim that he was revived fails because Jesus as a man disappears from history. Therefore, he died. His spiritual resurrection and his ability to appear is that of a highly evolved mystic. The Nasoreans neither affirm nor deny that his spiritual body was seen for 40 days. However, it is not unbelievable as we have experienced similar events among our saints. We therefore affirm the continued scientific work to further investigate whether this Tomb was that of Jesus. We likewise affirm that continued work should done on the James Ossuary. We formally request that the criminal action against Oded Golan be ended.
The Western World has been built on a paradigm that deified a man named Jesus. One of the principle supports of that paradigm has been the dogma of the empty tomb. Christians have not been rational in their view of that information. Part of the reason for this lack of critique is the apparent agreement of the Gospels with Paul. However, neither is that agreement assured nor is it clear that the early church believed in the physical resurrection of Jesus.
First, Mark, the oldest of the canonical gospels originally ended at Mark 16:8. The addition of the longer ending occurred after the death of the last apostle. As all the other gospels were subject to Mark and some other material we have to look first at Mark. Mark ends with the statement that Jesus has been raised, whatever that means, and that he will see the disciples in Galilee. There are no resurrection events like Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 15. There are no meetings in an upper room. There are no walking through walls events.
Luke tells us that Jesus appeared to two people on the road to Emmaus and talk to them. They did not recognize this person. They did not see him as Jesus. That tells us that he was not in a body like our bodies. He was in a glorified body like what Paul speaks of. Jesus was dead. His body was dead. He walks through walls. Only a spirit or a glorified body can walk through walls.
In the 1980’s, archaeologists found a Tomb with the name Joseph Caiphas. They did not doubt that that tomb was the tomb of the High Priest Caiphas. They found the tomb of Simon of Cyrene. They did not doubt that that tomb was inhabited by St. Simon. This tomb was found in 1980 as well.
The Jerusalemites used second burial for a period of 84 years, from 14 BCE until 70 CE. During that time it is estimated that there may have been 80,000 burials in family tombs in Jerusalem.
This tomb had at least 10 ossuaries. That tells us that the Tomb was a family tomb. One of the ossuaries disappeared before it got to the warehouse of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Of the remaining nine ossuaries, six had inscriptions. They were Maria, Yose, Mati, Yeshua bar Yosef, Mariamene e Mara, and Yehudah bar Yeshua. Some of these names were as common as common can be. Everyone was using them. But some were not. The name Maria was written in Hebrew script, but was a Latin transcription. That name was the name of Mary the Mother of Jesus. It was unique. None like it has been found. Yose is a diminutive of Yotzef. It is unique. No other inscription among the thousands found ever had the name Yose. This is important because Scripture tells us that Mary’s name was Maria and that she had a son named Yose.
We know from other sources that Mary’s family had Matthew or Mati as a name. In fact, Levi Alphaeus is Matthew of the Gospel. More than likely, Levi was a cousin of Joseph’s. Joseph’s family also included Mati as a name.
The scientists first DNA testing was on the remains in the ossuaries of Yeshua bar Yotzef and Mariamene e Mara. The finding concluded that these were not brother and sister. Their close proximity and the addition of an additional ossuary saying Yehudah bar Yeshua led the archaeologists to surmise that these people were married and had a child named Yehudah.
The statistician used at the news conference was the most conservative of several consulted. He place the likelihood that this was not the Tomb of Jesus at somewhere between 1/100 and 1/1000. Others have said it is more likely that the number is 1/256,000,000. There were only 250,000,000 people alive in the whole world at the time. For statistical purposes, this is the Tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. For sure, this is the tomb of a family called Bar Yotzef and Jesus son of Joseph is buried there.
Many have heard of the James Ossuary. The patina on the James Ossuary and the patinae on the Jesus Ossuary and the Mariamene Ossuary indicated a perfect match. The likelihoods are almost certain that the James Ossuary came from this tomb. With the addition of the James ossuary, the likelihoods of this being the Holy Family tomb rise to near certainty.
Some have been misinformed about other ossuaries having the inscription, Yeshua bar Yotzef. There has been only one. Professor Sukenik found it. It was not provenanced, that is, it was found in circumstances that raised doubt that it was authentic. This ossuary is provenanced.
The Nasorean Faith does not rest upon the physical resurrection of Jesus. It rests upon the teaching of the Nasorean Sect which began in 168 BCE and continues today. While Jesus is our principle philosophical base, he is based firmly in Torah. His physical death has been widely reported. His physical resurrection is not as firmly reported. This Tomb raises additional questions about a physical resurrection.
If Yeshua was a man, not a g-d, then he died like all of us. Professor Schonfield’s claim that he was revived fails because Jesus as a man disappears from history. Therefore, he died. His spiritual resurrection and his ability to appear is that of a highly evolved mystic. The Nasoreans neither affirm nor deny that his spiritual body was seen for 40 days. However, it is not unbelievable as we have experienced similar events among our saints. We therefore affirm the continued scientific work to further investigate whether this Tomb was that of Jesus. We likewise affirm that continued work should done on the James Ossuary. We formally request that the criminal action against Oded Golan be ended.
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Re: Official Statement of the Nasorean Orthodox Qahal on the Tomb of Jesus
Mon, March 5, 2007 - 8:48 AMThen I guess this would be the rebuttal:
www.extremetheology.com/2007/0..._i.html
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Men *are* Gods (or ought to be)
Thu, March 15, 2007 - 3:10 AM"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for everything which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
"But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."
—Moroni 7:15-17
"It may be proper for us to notice in this place a few of the many blessings held out in this law of heaven as a reward to those who obey its teachings. God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world, and this He has given an assurance of in that He raised up His Son Jesus Christ from the dead—the point on which the hope of all who believe the inspired record is found for their future happiness and enjoyment; because, 'If Christ be not raised,' said Paul to the Corinthians, 'your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished' (see I Cor. xv). If the resurrection from the dead be not an important point, or item in our faith, we must confess that we know nothing about it; for if there be no resurrection from the dead, then Christ has not risen; and if Christ has not risen He was not the Son of God; and if He was not the Son of God, there is not nor cannot be a Son of God, if the present book called Scriptures is true; because the time has gone by when, according to that book, He was to make His appearance. On this subject, however, we are reminded of the words of Peter to the Jewish Sanhedrin, when speaking of Christ, he says that God raised Him from the dead, and we (the apostles) are His witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God had given to them that obey Him (see Acts v). So that after the testimony of the Scriptures on this point, the assurance is given by the Holy Ghost, bearing witness to those who obey Him, that Christ Himself has assuredly risen from the dead; and if He has risen from the dead, He will by His power, bring all men to stand before Him; for if He has risen from the dead the bands of the temporal death are broken that the grave has no victory. If then, the grave has no victory, those who keep the sayings of Jesus and obey His teachings have not only a promise of a resurrection from the dead, but an assurance of being admitted into His glorious kingdom; for, He Himself says, 'Where I am, there shall also my servant be' (see John xii)."
—Joseph Smith, Jun., March 29, 1834
Resurrection from the dead is the reuniting of spirit with body into an eternal fullness in the celestial burnings of the Gods, a lesser form of which is translation. Gods have an ascendency over the angels, who are ministering servants. Ministering angels have resurrected and glorified bodies, ministering spirits do not yet have bodies; many bodies of the Saints arose at Christ's resurrection. In the final resurrection following the eternal judgement some will be raised to be angels and some to be Gods. Flesh quickened by the Spirit is capable of much more than walking through walls.
Lucifer's punishment, and the punishment of "his angels", the host of heaven that followed him and fought for his plan, is to be forever denied a tabernacle of flesh-and-bone for having rejected their first estate—free agency and will—bestowed upon all of God's children in the pre-mortal existence.
