UNH expert urging caution about Jesus tomb

By MALLORY SCHAFER
Democrat Staff Writer
Article published Mar 2, 2007

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070302/FOSTERS01/103020188

DURHAM — A local scholar cautions against making quick conclusions about recently unveiled ancient tombs found in Israel that may have contained the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene.

David Frankfurter, a religious studies and history professor at the University of New Hampshire, has taken an interest in the tombs, also called ossuaries. He said the names on them were very common in Roman Palestine.

The tombs were unveiled Monday six days before a documentary on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" is scheduled to air on the Discovery Channel. They were shown to the press in New York by the show's producer James Cameron and director Simcha Jacobovici. The tombs were discovered in 1980 during excavation for apartments in Jerusalem. Bones found in them were reburied.

The documentary's contention is that the 2,000-year-old tomb may have contained the remains of Jesus and his family, including possibly his wife, Mary Magdalene, and their young son. It airs Sunday at 9 p.m.

"The argument for associating these names with Jesus of Nazareth is statistical," Frankfurter said, with the premise being "what is the possibility for all these names in one tomb?" He said he has not seen enough evidence to regard the tomb as Jesus of Nazareth's.

"We should be very careful not to draw wild preliminary conclusions based on these statistics and based on this find," he said, adding that much of the excitement has been generated by the "Da Vinci Code" movie.

Though there is a large demand for historical fakes in Israel, Frankfurter said the tombs are likely authentic. He said "proper archaeology should not be done to service the Bible or its authenticity," but it's important to incorporate the tombs into history.

He said there are several impacts on Christianity as a result of the discovery.

These include questions about the resurrection of Jesus, and why his bones would remain, and whether he had a child. Frankfurter said the "implications of Jesus having a child would have an impact on the traditions of celibacy."

Frankfurter, a specialist in ancient Mediterranean religions, is the author of "Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History." He also is the author of "Religion in Roman Egypt," which won the 1999 award for excellence in the historical study of religion from the American Academy of Religion.