Jerusalem Bone Box Update

Finally, Émile Puech of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem believes that the phrasing of the inscription itself makes it unlikely to be authentic. Given the importance of James to the early church, the wording of the inscription, argues Puech, ought to have been either "James the Just" or "brother of Jesus, dubbed Christ", not simply "James, brother of Jesus". The simplicity of the inscription argues either that the box is from an ordinary individual, or the inscription is an addition by someone unfamiliar with the political situation in which James lived.

It is always difficult for the general public to identify the real archaeology from the fake, when sensational stories hit the world-wide press. It's difficult for the professional, for that matter. But the first clue must be context, or "provenience". Jerusalem's bone box was looted from a site, and spent a few decades in the hands of an art collector. We have no proof or information about where the box was found; the context is completely lost to us. To archaeologists, an artifact is of limited interest and doubtful authenticity whenever its context is in question.

Unfortunately, whenever artifacts are considered for their esthetic value only, their price on the blackmarket makes the archaeological sites from whence they come, or indeed national museums such as Iraq's, vulnerable to the greed of smugglers and ultimately to the greed of art collectors.

Always be suspicious of artifacts out of context.

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