The Anarchist’s coming is all Satan’s work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they’re so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they’re banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions. [2 The 2:9-12 MSG]

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [1 Cor 15:14-17 ESV]

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. [1 Tim 6:10 KJV]

I have just started to pour over the documents of the so-called Jesus Family Tomb that is going to be the latest attack on the historicity of the Christian faith. I agree with James White when he states “When the debate finally begins, the money will already be in their pockets, the damage done, and for the foreseeable future we will be dealing with people repeating their claims as established facts” [source].

The filmmakers apppear to be using DNA evidence, statistical analysis, and patina evidence. The DNA evidence is etched in the Western mindset as unquestionable, but when dealing with something of this age DNA is usually fragmentary and unreliable. Nevertheless, the filmmakers have used it to “prove” that the remains in the ossuary for Jesus do not share a mother with the remains in the ossuary for Marymne. This means that the two were likely a married couple.

Statistical analysis observes the occurances of the names in first century Jerusalem, and determines that the chances of this being some other family’s tomb is 1 in 600.

The patina evidence indicates that the ossuary missing from this tomb is the controversial James ossuary from a few years back. The problem that this creates is that the James ossuary has been proven a fraud, and its owner is on trial right now for forgery in relation to the ossuary. A photograph from the 1970s shows the ossuary in the house of the forger, which means that this ossuary cannot be the missing one from the Jesus Tomb.

Well, I for one will be doing a lot more research on this. The sad part of our culture is that we’re trained that once experts say things, they are right. Especially when those facts attack a religion with a 2000 year tradition. This is more evidence that the end times approach. This is part of that powerful delusion that Paul talks about in 2 Thessolonians.

One question I would like to pose to the folks behind this new menace to Christianity. Why, if this tomb existed in the time of Jesus, did His critics not publicize its location or take the body out and parade it around town for all of Jesus’ followers to see back in that time period? Christianity is based on the Ressurection of Jesus, His victory over death. If He died same as all mortal men, then our faith is in nothing. The hostile witnesses of the day outnumbered the friendly ones. One would only imagine that this tomb would be their favorite spot to point to, write about, preach about, and send Christians to if it is what the filmmakers purport it to be.

Yes, finally, after a short absense, I have returned.

My wife attempted to move the computer stand, and unfortunately it broke in the process.  While this had nothing to do with my ability to use the actual computer,  I had no place to set it up until we were able to finish some more cleaning in the apartment.  Now that monkey is off our backs, so to speak, we have been able to set up the computer and that means that I can return to my usual attempt to blog three times per week and post one article.

I was greeted by a most unfortunate find when returning to the apologetic front: the news of the “discovery” of “Jesus’ tomb.”  Obviously, I am a firm believer in biblical inerrancy, a conviction that has become stronger by studying the writings of Josh McDowell.  As such, I believe the biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead and ascending body and soul into heaven to be the accurate history.

As such, Jesus would have no earthly tomb save the one that He lay in prior to His resurrection.  This one, of course, would not house His father, nor His brother.  I do not share the Catholic belief in the Assumption of Mary, but I don’t believe that Mary would be in this tomb either.  She lived with John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved.”  Tombs were for the rich, hardly how one would describe a simple carpenter in days before trade schools and labor unions.

I will follow this story closely, and make every effort to watch (or TiVo) the Discovery Channel special that will follow.  I may try to buy the book, but I’ll have to see.  I hate throwing money at ignorant people like that; it only encourages them to produce more material.

On a side note, I try to do things right in this ministry.  Preach the gospel delivered once and for all to the saints, and I try to do it with prayerful reverence.  Yet it is difficult to get a wide readership.  But the world stops when the Virgin Mary appears in a damn sheet pan, and people flock to see it by the thousands.

So, am I wrong in what I am doing?  No, on the contrary, this only proves that I am right and they are wrong.