Scholars Still Debate James Ossuary

There are still those who suspect that the James Ossuary may be genuine, despite the fact that the guy who found it, Oded Golan, has been arrested and charged with forgery. These scholars believe that the declaration of the Ossuary as a fake was politically motivated.

CNN reports:

Panelists, speaking in Atlanta at the annual joint conference of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature on Sunday, said authorities should examine the box more closely before passing judgment. "I don't know for sure whether this is a forged inscription, and I'm sort of cast as a defender of the inscription. I'm not," said moderator Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archeology Review, which published the initial findings. "What I do know is, Israeli authorities have badly managed the affair."

Such objects were to be expected - no matter what sort of evidence is produced that the James Ossuary is a fake, there will always be people who insist that it must be genuine. After all, it confirms their faith in the existence of Jesus. On the other hand, if faith is "proven," then it isn't really faith anymore - is it? What do you think about the authenticity of the James Ossuary?

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• Philosophy of Religion
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