UHL Articles on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" Documentary

QuickTime VR Panoramas of "The Lost Tomb"

News Articles on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" Documentary

  • Jesus tomb film scholars backtrack
    Several prominent scholars who were interviewed in a bitterly contested documentary that suggests that Jesus and his family members were buried in a nondescript ancient Jerusalem burial cave have now revised their conclusions...
  • Scholar: 'Jesus Tomb' documentary got it wrong
    A prominent scholar looking into the factual basis of a popular but widely criticized documentary film that claims to have located the tomb of Jesus said Tuesday that a crucial piece of evidence filmmakers used to support their claim is a mistake.
  • Giving 'Jesus' the silent treatment
    At the New York press conference held Monday to launch his The Lost Tomb of Jesus documentary, filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici was asked whether his whole thesis hinged on the inscription on the ossuary alongside him truly reading "Jesus son of Joseph."
  • Director Claims Discovery Of Jesus' Tomb
    At a news conference in New York City on Monday morning, film director James Cameron described the evidence he and other filmmakers said proves Jesus was buried and had a son...

UHL Web Blogs on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" Documentary


  • Statistics and common sense: One thing keeps passing the non-statisticians by almost without notice. Professor Andrey Feuerverger and his reviewers stress that the conclusions of their work are only valid if the a priori assumptions that were provided to them were true. In other words, if the premises of the filmmakers were faulty, if the assumptions were untrue, then the statistical probabilities are also false.
  • Jose (or is it Jehoseph?) and his Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat: Throughout the history of Israel and the Jewish people there have been many Josephs, starting with Joseph the son of Jacob. Each one was the namesake of the first. However, the name Joseph took on several forms...
  • "Yoseh, can you see?" - checking the sources: Throughout the year there has been an emphasis by supporters of the “Jesus Family Tomb” hypothesis as to how very rare the name “Yoseh” was during the Second Temple Period. However, after rechecking the sources and having reassessed the frequency of Yoseh during that time, a different picture begins to appear...
  • Do you know the way to San Jose?: With the ossuary of Mary Magdalene generally accepted as a pipe dream of only a few, certain of the remaining Jesus Tomb theorists are willing to place their bets on this ossuary inscription,"Yoseh/Joseh". However, to arrive to the conclusion that the Talpiot tomb is the "Jesus family tomb", based on the "Yoseh/Joseh" inscription, one must allow for another unfounded, a priori assumption to be introduced as real evidence.
  • Resealing the Ossuary Lid - The Straight and the Narrow (according to additional diagnostic features): Forensic handwriting analysts look for distinct diagnostic features to identify or distinguish various individuals, including slant, size, overall form and shape of letters; the consistency of space and slope between adjacent letters and words on a line; the apparent fluidity of writing, and the pressure of the pen. After the application of such analysis methods to the "Mariame Kai Mara" ossuary, it is no longer prudent to speculate that this ossuary belongs to Mary Magdalene, nor, to the best of our knowledge, to any other known individual from ancient history.
  • An "Eye for Form" (updated): In order to actually discern the difference between the beginning and the end of the Mariame kai Mara inscription, one must have an eye for form.
  • The Bottom Line: Clarification on the shared view of Dr. Jonathan Price and Dr. Stephen Pfann that the Mary ossuary does not say "MARIAMHNOU".
  • Statisticians clarify "Without Mary Magdalene ...": "Without Mary Magdalene the tomb is like any other tomb with an unremarkable common set of names" Andrey Feuerverger, Mathematician, University of Toronto
  • The Media and Three Surveys by the Tomb Symposium Participants: Final consensus. Participants of the Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian Origins agree: "the identification of the Talpiot tomb with that of Jesus and/or his family is really little more than unfounded speculation".
  • Rushing to Press on Ruth Gat
  • Stephen Pfann's Statement: the long and the short of it
  • Rachel Hachlili’s Statement
  • Jane Schaberg's Statement
  • Christopher Rollston's Statement
  • Fair Representation
  • James Tabor's Statement
  • The Assessments of April DeConick, Christopher Rollston and James Tabor (blogs)
  • André Lemaire's Statement
  • Israel Knohl's Statement
  • Shimon Gibson's Statement
  • Geza Vermes' Statement
  • "The near universal scholarly consensus"
  • One more nail in the Ossuary: The Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian Origins casts more doubt on the Talpiot Tomb.
  • Talpiot Tomb Conference in Jerusalem: The Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian Origins - Jewish Views of the After Life and Burial Practices in Second Temple Judaism - Evaluating the Talpiot Tomb in Context
  • Lost Tomb of Jesus Story - Science, Fact or Fiction? Part 3: Is "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" fact, fiction or a hoax? Read the pros and cons on these perspectives.
  • Lost Tomb of Jesus Story - Science, Fact or Fiction? Part 2: A listing of the various possible categories that "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" could fall into. Which one is the most accurate?
  • Raiders of the Lost Tomb (and The Lost Chevron) of Jesus, part 3: A Visit to the tombs of Dominus Flevit - The Discovery of a Staged Event
  • Raiders of the Lost Tomb (and The Lost Chevron) of Jesus, part 2: Selling the "Chevron"
  • Raiders of the Lost Tomb (and The Lost Chevron) of Jesus, part 1: The Tale of Three Stories
  • Investigative Journalism under Investigation: The role and nature of investigative journalism.
  • Lost Tomb Story - Finding missing links and "connecting the dots": Truth, Facts and Investigative Reporting - Finding missing links and connecting the dots.
  • The Importance of Checking One’s Sources: Looking back at the sources it is evident that an individual might be called by either Yosef and Yoseh, since every individual bears both names. The choice of which name to use for an individual depends upon the occasion, whether formal or casual.
  • Nuances of certitude: The difficulties of reading the name "Yeshua' (?)" in the "Yeshua bar Yehoseph" inscription do not eliminate it from the final form of the inscription. However, they do bring into serious question that this name was the original one inscribed on the ossuary.
  • Lost Tomb Story - Science, Fact or Fiction?: Poll for categorizing "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary in reporting/story telling terms.
  • More Jesus inscriptions, more from Talpiot, more with crosses.: Additional entries in the "Jesus Tomb look alike" contest that didn't make the film's final cut.
  • Another informal name for "Jesus": Although less common than Yeshua', Yehoshua' had another informal form, Yeshu'. Discussion and link to audio file of original pronunciation of Yeshu'.
  • The formal name of Jesus: There are numerous examples of individuals in the literature and in the ossuaries who are ascribed both formal and familiar names according to the context in which the individual is addressed. YESHUA' is the standard familiar form of YEHOSHUA'.
  • Other Yeshua's among the ossuaries: Overview of the various inscriptions of the name Jesus on Judean ossuaries and the light they shed on the Jesus son of Joseph inscription found in the Talpiot Tomb.
  • What lies beneath?: What lies beneath the name "Yeshua' (?)" in the Talpiot tomb inscription? That is the question.
  • What lies above?: What lies on the surface of the "Yeshua' (?)" Son of Joseph inscription are two names with noticeable differences.
  • Yeshua' (?): New doubts raised concerning "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" inscription.
  • Clarification for BAR: The Lost Tomb of Jesus? The Jesus Son of Joseph inscription proves to be unclear...
  • Metrics provide more evidence: Metric measurements of the MARIAME KAI MARA inscription show further evidence that two different tools were used in its creation. The maximum width of the grooves in the MARIAME section is approximately .85 mm, while the maximum width of the grooves in the MARIAME section is 1.o mm.
  • Fireworks or Confetti?: There are 49 inadvertent scratches in and around the MARIAME KAI MARA inscription. The superfluous scratches can be identified in that the troughs created by these scratches bear little resemblance to those of the inscription itself.
  • Cleaning Cavities and Scratches: Since dried mud is compacted in the grooves that make up the inscription of CJO 704 (IAA 80.503) YESHUA (?) BEN/BAR YEHOSEF, the staff of UHL proposed to clean the mud from the inscription in order to define the tools used in various parts of the inscription and to clarify the order of the succession of strokes that made up the letters. To this end, UHL enlisted the aid of one of Jerusalem’s leading dentists, Dr. Ari Greenspan D.M.D., who also has applied his skills and scientific background on various projects with UHL and other archeological endeavors in Israel.
  • Problems with the "Yeshua (?) bar Yehosef" inscription: In our preliminary report to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the so-called Jesus son of Joseph ossuary has mud, pressed deeply into the strokes of the letters of the inscription. The dried mud remained a problem in discerning the nature and the succession of letter strokes which were applied to the ossuary.
  • A Change of Hand (updated): Detailed, side by side photographic comparison of the documentary and cursive Greek scripts found on the Meriame and Mara Ossuary.
  • Inside the IAA storerooms: Photos of the examination of four of the inscribed ossuaries from the Talpiot Tomb by UHL technical staff at the IAA storage facilities in Beth Shemesh.
  • Beth Shemesh: On Thursday, June 21, 2007 our UHL technical staff visited the IAA storage facilities at Beth Shemesh to examine and photograph four of the inscribed ossuaries from the Talpiot Tomb.
  • Shimon Barzillai (not Bar Jonah): A brief look at the history of the Barziallai family.
  • Whose son is Simon?: Discussion of the proper reading of the "Simon Bar ..." ossuary inscription from the Dominus Flevit tomb complex.
  • The Monogram Tomb: Discussion of the "monogramma costantiniano" found at the Dominus Flevit tomb complex, and its possible meaning in the given context.
  • "Clarifying" the Dominus Flevit tomb part 3: The setting of the inscription: Discusses the nature and setting of the Dominus Flevit tomb complex where the "Simon bar ..." ossuary was found.
  • "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" Part 3: Discusses the fact that Maria was the personal and familiar form of the more formal name Meriam, and that the two were often used interchangeably for the same individual in the first century.
  • "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" Part 2: Continuation of the "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" blog.
  • "How do you solve a problem like Maria?": Much has been made of two women named "Maria/Mariam" in the Talpiot tomb, whose names are preserved on the two ossuaries: CJO 701 (where Rahmani read Greek "Mariamene"), and CJO 706 (where he read Hebrew "Maria"). In each case, the identity of the named individual was put forth as absolutely essential for understanding the relationship between the tomb’s contents and the family of Jesus of Nazareth. However upon closer examination of the inscriptions themselves, it seems that Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus are slipping out of the back door...
  • "Clarifying" the Dominus Flevit tomb part 2: Is this the final resting place of Simon Peter?: Based upon the extant historical sources there appears to be unanimous agreement that Peter–Simon bar-Jonah–died in Rome during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Nero which took place during the years 64/65 C.E. The same sources agree that he was buried in Rome, where his grave was commemorated by a monument. However the makers of the Lost Tomb of Jesus, who believe that, in spite of the lack of any ancient literary support, a fragmentary bone box from Dominus Flevit contained the remains of Simon Peter who was buried, they assert, not in Rome, but in Jerusalem.
  • Judah son of Jesus, Jesus son of Judah: In "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary, the film makers built their tale about Jesus of Nazareth's life around what they considered to be a unique set of names found in the Talpiot Wreath and Gable tomb, such as "Jesus son of Joseph" and "Judah son of Jesus". However looking through Rahmani’s catalogue of ossuaries, it is possible to find at least one other tomb containing a "Jesus" and a "Judah son of Judah".
  • Demythologizing the Talpiot Tomb: Family groups IIa-IIc (updated): Differences in the quality of the ossuaries found in the Talpiot Wreath and Gable tomb, point to variations in economic affluence within the larger family buried there.
  • "Yoseh" or "Yosah"?: Discussion of the proper pronunciation of the YWSH inscription found on an ossuary in the Talpiot Wreath and Gable tomb.
  • Preliminary Autopsy of CJO 703 (80.502) and CJO 705 (80.504) Mattiah and Yoseh: On Thursday, May 3, 2007, four members of the University of the Holy Land staff visited the Israel Antiquities Authority storage facility at Beth Shemesh in order to study four inscribed ossuaries from the Talpiot Tomb. Amongst the ossuaries examined were CJO 703 and CJO 705 bearing the names Mattiah and Yoseh respectively.
  • Demythologizing the Talpiot Tomb: family unit, group No. 1: Dissection of first groups of ossuaries found in the Talpiot Wreath and Gable tomb.
  • Unity and Diversity in the Talpiot Wreath and Gable Tomb: By analyzing the differences found amongst the ossuaries of the Talpiot tomb, it is possible to subdivide the extended family found within the tomb into a number of smaller nuclear families.
  • "Chevron" foiled: Using logical, probability assessment methods, the theory that the decoration on the Talpiot tomb's façade is a cryptic 'Chevron' or 'the all seeing eye' is disproven.
  • The so-called 'Chevron' and the Simpler Tomb Façades of the upper class: The gable with a decorated pediment above a moulded door frame remained popular among the upper class in First Century. The "Chevron" found on the alleged "Lost Tomb of Jesus" in reality is an example of this form of Tomb motif.
  • Chevron Toil: So far no one has ventured a guess as to the origins of this feature on the facade of the Talpiot Tomb. It takes a little work to hunt up the legitimate parallels but also a certain methodology should be applied. This A, B, C, D rating system of potential parallels might help narrow down the options.
  • Preliminary Autopsy of CJO 701 (80.500) MARIAME KAI MARA: On Thursday, May 3, 2007, four members of the University of the Holy Land staff visited the Israel Antiquities Authority storage facility at Beth Shemesh in order to study four inscribed ossuaries from the Talpiot Tomb. They first examined ossuary CJO 701 (80.500) which bears the inscription MARIAME KAI MARA, "Mariame and Mara".
  • Chevron from heaven?: The chevron’s legend had evidently preceded the "rediscovery" of the Tomb. In the film "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," one of the goals of the production team story was to find this mysterious tomb with a very special symbol above the door. The staged reenactment was very entertaining.
  • Stone-mason’s Marks (not Freemason’s Marks): The "Chevron" found on the ossuary at Dominus Flevit is simply a stone-mason's mark used to align the lid of the ossuary with its base.
  • A Trip to Beth Shemesh: On Thursday, May 3rd, four members of the UHL staff visited the Israel Antiquities Authority storage facility at Beth Shemesh and studied four inscribed ossuaries from the Talpiot Tomb. More information to come.
  • 'Clarifying' the Dominus Flevit Tomb: What’s wrong with this picture?: On Tuesday, May 1, members of our staff visited Dominus Flevit at the invitation of a film production team from the United States who were filming there. With our staff’s effort to understand the tomb and its ossuaries, and the film crew’s effort to retrace the sequence of events portrayed in the Lost Tomb, a number of "clarifications" may now be offered.
  • A gentleman and a scholar from Argentina: A number of visitors have come to our site from Argentina during recent weeks. For your sakes I wanted to introduce another scholar who arrived at the MARIA KAI MARA reading independently.
  • Demythologizing Jesus (of Talpiot): Each ossuary in the Tomb found in Talpiot, has had a face and story from the New Testament superimposed upon it by the creators of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary. This becomes problematic for those of us who would like to study and understand the tomb and its family/families on their own merit.
  • The Jesus Tomb Fiction Writers Cooperative: When is fiction really fiction?
  • Cardinal Martini weighs in: Eminent textual scholar Cardinal Carlo Martini voices his support for the "MARIAME KAI MARA" reading of the inscription found on the ossuary.
  • "Refinements" made by Feurverger and others: In a recent Jerusalem Post Article, Emmy Award winning film producer, Simcha Jacobovici wanted to respond to a previous JPost article that stated that many of the scientists of his film had "backtracked" from their original statements. He asserted that they had rather "refined" their conclusions. However one such "refinement" made by the statistician Andrey Feuerverger, has led to the complete removal of any reference to Jesus of Nazareth or his family from the statistical assertions found in "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" section on the Discovery Channel's website.
  • Round 2: Lost Tomb long version: The Discovery Channel plans on airing the extended version of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary followed by a 30 minute segment for the opposition.
  • Midcourse corrections that can lead toward sound conclusions: The creators of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary claim that the experts in the film are not conveying anything other than what they had originally stated. However it seems that many of the experts are in fact modifying their original statements as more information becomes available to them and they can give more complete answers.
  • First Impressions are First Impressions, That’s All: Discussion on the fact that when a scientist or scholar gives an initial first impression on a subject, it is simply meant to be their first impression but not their definitive answer. In the documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" the first impressions of scientists and scholars are often quoted as being their final answer.
  • Another Jesus, son of Joseph? Surprising, but true statistics: "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary basis its premise on the claims that several of the names found in the tomb are very rare directly linking it to the family of Jesus of Nazareth. A careful look at the name frequency statistics amongst first century Jewish tombs reveals that these names are in fact not rare at all.
  • Mitochondrial DNA, Mariame and Mara - CJO Ossuary 701: Clarification on the nature of mitochondrial DNA, what it can tell us, and its impact on the allegations of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary.
  • The Enigma of the Signa: Since when does a Scratch become a formula?: Explanation of the "Signum", a key grammatical term used by the makers of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary in their arguments regarding the alleged "Mary Magdalene" inscription. Ultimately, it is evident that due to grammatical laws, what the film makers took to be a signum, is simply one of many scratches found on the said ossuary.
  • Epigraphy, the microscope and statistics: tools of the trade: Dr. Stephen Pfann presents his background in Greek epigraphy, the sciences and statistics.
  • The Ossuary of RIKEGŒ ¬ 'RICH': Dr. Stephen Pfann illustrates the arguments of his previous blog in regards to the many grammatical exceptions assumed in "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary using a modern day analogy.
  • One Too Many Mariamenes: Explanation of the large number of assumptions required to accept the Mary Magdalene ossuary reading that "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary proposes.
  • Tomb CSI experts caution against playing with 'matches': UHL staff report saying that in regards to the suggested "match" between the James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus ossuary and that of Jesus, son of Joseph, "Lost Tomb of Jesus" participants Steven Cox and Robert Genna provide a word of caution.
  • Scholars Weigh In and Bow Out: UHL staff report details how the different scholars from the documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" have subsequently retracted their support from the film. Links over to the more detailed article "Cracks in the Foundation".
  • Teens on the Lost Tomb of Jesus
  • UHL Web Blog on misrepresentation of key experts in "Lost Tomb of Jesus"
  • UHL Web Blog on the misuse statistics in "Lost Tomb of Jesus
  • Mary Magdalene is Missing

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