MORE ON THE INSCRIPTIONS ON ABSALOM'S TOMB:

Revealing the word (Taipei Times)

An ancient burial ground which was attracting drug dealers and criminals could be one of the most important biblical finds of recent years

REUTERS
Saturday, Aug 23, 2003

For centuries passers-by have thrown rocks at an ornate tomb in Jerusalem's Kidron Valley, reviled as the traditional burial place of the biblical King David's villainous son Absalom.

But in one of those strange twists unique to the Holy Land -- where tombs can post-date by a millennium those believed buried there -- an inscription found on the crypt now points to it belonging not to Absalom but rather John the Baptist's father, Zacharias, and maybe even James, who some Christians regard as the brother of Jesus.

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In large letters that were once painted black so they could be seen from across the valley, the inscription reads: "This is the funerary monument of Zacharias, the martyr, the very pious priest, father of John."

[Epigrapher Emile] Puech believes it was carved by monks around a decade after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

During that period Christians began to set up shrines connected to Jesus, among them Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of the crucifixion.

While no one can be certain the tomb really was Zacharias' burial place, experts say the shrines located when Christianity changed from being a persecuted religion to a powerful one tended to be the most authentic.

"In the fourth century they had at least somebody to talk to who knew something [about locations of events chronicled in the New Testament]," said [archaeologist James] Strange.

{Physical anthropologist Joe] Zias and Puech are now trying to decipher another inscription along the side of the tomb. The only word they can currently read is Simeon, who according to the Gospel of Saint Luke blessed baby Jesus as the future messiah.

Zias now hopes to find an inscription linking James the Just -- whom some Christians believe to be Jesus' brother -- to the tomb as according to Christian tradition, Zacharias, Simeon and James were buried together. Roman Catholics -- who believe Jesus' mother Mary was a virgin all her life -- say James was his cousin.

"There is room for three people [in the tomb]. There are three burial niches so it certainly fits," Zias said.

He is bitterly aware that any discoveries related to James may be greeted with skepticism by the archeological world which is still reeling from a scandal over an ossuary or burial box that purported to be that of James.

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"The irony is that these guys came up with an ossuary that is a forgery and make millions of dollars," Zias said. "Here we come but with something that is authentic, unchallenged and we have to go on all fours for funding."

Indeed. This deserves more press - and more funding! - than it's been getting.