A geologist in Jerusalem claims to have found “virtually unequivocal evidence” that could reopen the controversy over the final resting place of Jesus Christ.That is all very interesting, but the final sentence of the article grasps the main issue:
Dr Aryeh Shimron says he has carried out new tests that suggest it is more likely the Talpiot Tomb, a burial site found in East Jerusalem in 1980, was a family grave for Jesus of Nazareth, his wife Mary Magdalene and his son Judah.
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The geochemical tests, carried out under Dr Shimron’s supervision largely by the Israel Antiquities Authority, worked on the basis that the ossuaries in the Talpiot Tomb were all once covered by the same clay with a very distinctive mineral make-up.
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While the results are likely to rekindle the debate surrounding the possible remains of Jesus, they are still far from accepted in scientific circles. The collector who owns the James ossuary told the Times Dr Shimron’s work determines nothing “conclusively”, while other Jerusalem archaeologists say they await its publication in a peer-reviewed journal.Scholarship is advanced by peer-review publications, not excited announcements in the media or even in blog posts.
The main issue regarding the James Ossuary is whether the inscription (or the full inscription) is ancient and, if so, as ancient as the first century. Scholars remain divided on that question. Background here and here and many, many links. I have not been paying much attention to the Talpiot Tomb discussion lately, but you can find considerable background on it here, here, and here, again with many, many links.