Comments on: James Ossuary Not a Fake http://varnam.org/blog/2008/11/james_ossuary_not_a_fake/ History, Current Affairs & Books Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:39:01 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: JK http://varnam.org/blog/2008/11/james_ossuary_not_a_fake/comment-page-1/#comment-2990 JK Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:58:32 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=1506#comment-2990 Prof. McGrath, Thanks for dropping by. According to the BAR report, "there is original ancient patina in the word “Jesus,”". Are you waiting to see if there is ancient patina on rest of the words? Prof. McGrath,

Thanks for dropping by. According to the BAR report, “there is original ancient patina in the word âJesus,â”. Are you waiting to see if there is ancient patina on rest of the words?

]]> By: James McGrath http://varnam.org/blog/2008/11/james_ossuary_not_a_fake/comment-page-1/#comment-2989 James McGrath Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:08:01 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=1506#comment-2989 I do hope that eventually some further studies will be undertaken that may prove the authenticity or otherwise of this artifact one way or the other, beyond reasonable doubt. It is important to emphasize, however, that this trial cannot and will not do that. The trial is about whether there is enough evidence to convict an individual of forgery. The authenticity of otherwise of the ossuary is not a matter that a court of law or the media can determine. A fair and balanced investigation of whether there is patina on all the words in the inscription is certainly needed, but the best course of action is to suspend judgment and hope that a relatively impartial group of epigraphers, archaeologists and other experts will be given access to the ossuary and publish their findings in a scholarly venue. I do hope that eventually some further studies will be undertaken that may prove the authenticity or otherwise of this artifact one way or the other, beyond reasonable doubt.

It is important to emphasize, however, that this trial cannot and will not do that. The trial is about whether there is enough evidence to convict an individual of forgery. The authenticity of otherwise of the ossuary is not a matter that a court of law or the media can determine.

A fair and balanced investigation of whether there is patina on all the words in the inscription is certainly needed, but the best course of action is to suspend judgment and hope that a relatively impartial group of epigraphers, archaeologists and other experts will be given access to the ossuary and publish their findings in a scholarly venue.

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