Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 10-05-2010, 09:38 AM

Judge Considers Verdict in 5-Year-Long Jesus Forgery Trial

Quote:

An acquittal would also be an acute embarrassment for the isotope experts at the Israel Geological Survey and professor Yuval Goren of Tel Aviv University, who spent many days on the stand defending scientific tests that they said showed the items must be fakes.

A guilty verdict, on the other hand, would destroy the reputation of one of the world's leading collectors of biblical antiquities and drive the entire Israeli market underground. The Israel Antiquities Authority has made no secret of its desire to shut down the trade in Bible-era artifacts, which it believes encourages grave robbers, who spirit the choicest finds out of the country.

mountainman · 10-05-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Judge Considers Verdict in 5-Year-Long Jesus Forgery Trial

Quote:

An acquittal would also be an acute embarrassment for the isotope experts at the Israel Geological Survey and professor Yuval Goren of Tel Aviv University, who spent many days on the stand defending scientific tests that they said showed the items must be fakes.

A guilty verdict, on the other hand, would destroy the reputation of one of the world's leading collectors of biblical antiquities and drive the entire Israeli market underground. The Israel Antiquities Authority has made no secret of its desire to shut down the trade in Bible-era artifacts, which it believes encourages grave robbers, who spirit the choicest finds out of the country.

The possibility of a guilty verdict might also be making some of the international museum curators, who have made "purchases" from the "Israeli market", quite nervous.

Toto · 01-20-2011, 09:54 PM

The verdict appears to be imminent in this long running soap opera.

Hershel Shanks is offering a free e-book and the translation of the judge's decision when the verdict arrives. He believes that there was no forgery. He coauthored, with Ben Witherington, The Brother of Jesus: The Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & His Family (or via: amazon.co.uk).

Robert Eisenman has written on the Huffington Post that the ossuary is a forgery inspired by the title of his "blockbuster" James the Brother of Jesus.

Quote:

I have always insisted that the appearance of this "Box" in 2002 was intimately connected with the publication of my 1,000-page blockbuster, James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls (or via: amazon.co.uk) (Viking/Penguin/ Faber & Faber, 1997-98). That book put this "James the Brother of Jesus" 'on the map,' so to speak -- meaning the fact of his existence and his importance, as his 'brother's successor and closest living relative, to the question of "the Historical Jesus" (the last sentence of the Book being: "Who and whatever James was, so was 'Jesus'); not to mention his leadership of the "Early Church in Palestine" ("the Bishop of Bishops," as it were or, in the language of the Dead Sea Scrolls, "the Mebakker" or "Overseer") and the real "Leader" of so-called "Christianity" everywhere not "Peter."

stephan huller · 01-20-2011, 10:20 PM

This is one of the times when Eisenman seems to be spot on. The Israeli antiquities market seems to have taken over where Constantine's mother left off. I actually respect Eisenman for rejecting something which clearly would have supported a lot of his conjectures. You can count on one hand the number of scholars who'd do that.

Juststeve · 01-21-2011, 06:20 AM

This is not the sort of dispute that can be resolved by the judicial process, whiche ver way the judge rules.

Steve

aa5874 · 01-21-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juststeve

This is not the sort of dispute that can be resolved by the judicial process, whiche ver way the judge rules.

Steve

Have you actually followed the trial and listened to all the evidence that has been presented? If not then your statement may be erroneous.

Charges of forgeries have been resolved using the judicial process.

Toto · 01-21-2011, 12:51 PM

But in this case, a key witness is missing, and the defense has evidently managed to create enough confusion, that there might not be a satisfactory resolution other than "not proven."

andrewcriddle · 01-21-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aa5874

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juststeve

This is not the sort of dispute that can be resolved by the judicial process, whiche ver way the judge rules.

Steve

Have you actually followed the trial and listened to all the evidence that has been presented? If not then your statement may be erroneous.

Charges of forgeries have been resolved using the judicial process.

I don't know the details of Israeli criminal law but presumably for a criminal conviction guilt has to be established beyond reasonable doubt (or something similar).

If so, it would be perfectly plausible to decide that the ossuary inscription is probably not authentic, but that there is not enough evidence to convict the defendant of forgery.

Andrew Criddle

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

01-20-2011, 10:20 PM	#4
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	This is one of the times when Eisenman seems to be spot on. The Israeli antiquities market seems to have taken over where Constantine's mother left off. I actually respect Eisenman for rejecting something which clearly would have supported a lot of his conjectures. You can count on one hand the number of scholars who'd do that.

01-21-2011, 06:20 AM	#5
Juststeve Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 758	This is not the sort of dispute that can be resolved by the judicial process, whiche ver way the judge rules. Steve

01-21-2011, 12:51 PM	#7
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	But in this case, a key witness is missing, and the defense has evidently managed to create enough confusion, that there might not be a satisfactory resolution other than "not proven."

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.