Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus : The James Ossuary Controversy and the Quest for Religious Relics

In 2002 a burial box of skeletal remains purchased anonymously from the black market was identified as the ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus. Transformed by the media into a religious and historical relic overnight, the artifact made its way to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where 100,000 people congregated to experience what had been prematurely and hyperbolically billed as the closest tactile connection to Jesus yet unearthed. Within a few months, however, the ossuary was revealed to be a forgery. Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus offers a critical evaluation of the popular and scholarly reception of the James Ossuary as it emerged from the dimness of the antiquities black market to become a Protestant relic in the media's custody. The volume brings together experts in Jewish archaeology, early Christianity, American religious history, and pilgrimage to explore the theory and practice couched in the debate about the object's authenticity. Contributors explore the ways in which the varying popular and scholarly responses to the ossuary phenomenon inform the presumption of religious meaning; how religious categories are created, vetted, and used for various purposes; and whether the history of pious frauds in America can help to illuminate this international episode. Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus also contributes to discussions about the construction of religious studies as an academic discipline and the role of scholars as public interpreters of discoveries with religious significance. Contributors: Thomas S. Bremer, Rhodes College Ryan Byrne, Menifee, California Byron R. McCane, Wofford College Bernadette McNary-Zak, Rhodes College Milton Moreland, Rhodes College Jonathan L. Reed, University of La Verne In 2002 a burial box of skeletal remains purchased anonymously from the black market was identified as the ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus. Transformed by the media into a religious and historical relic overnight, the artifact made its way to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where 100,000 people congregated to experience what had been prematurely and hyperbolically billed as the closest tactile connection to Jesus yet unearthed. Within a few months, however, the ossuary was revealed to be a forgery. __Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus__ offers a critical evaluation of the popular and scholarly reception of the James Ossuary as it emerged from the dimness of the antiquities black market to become a Protestant relic in the media's custody. The volume brings together experts in Jewish archaeology, early Christianity, American religious history, and pilgrimage to explore the theory and practice couched in the debate about the object's authenticity. Contributors explore the ways in which the varying popular and scholarly responses to the ossuary phenomenon inform the presumption of religious meaning; how religious categories are created, vetted, and used for various purposes; and whether the history of pious frauds in America can help to illuminate this international episode. __Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus__ also contributes to discussions about the construction of religious studies as an academic discipline and the role of scholars as public interpreters of discoveries with religious significance.Contributors:Thomas S. Bremer, Rhodes CollegeRyan Byrne, Menifee, CaliforniaByron R. McCane, Wofford CollegeBernadette McNary-Zak, Rhodes CollegeMilton Moreland, Rhodes CollegeJonathan L. Reed, University of La Verne Introduction / Ryan Byrne and Bernadette McNary-Zak Archaeological context and controversy : the bones of James unpacked / Byron R. McCane The brother of Jesus in Toronto / Thomas S. Bremer Finding true religion in the James Ossuary : the conundrum of relics in faith narratives / Bernadette McNary-Zak Christian artifacts in documentary film : the case of the James Ossuary / Milton Moreland Anatomy of a cargo cult : virginity, relic envy, and hallowed boxes / Ryan Byrne Overcoming the James Ossuary and the legacy of biblical archaeology / Jonathan L. Reed Epilogue / Ryan Byrne and Bernadette McNary-Zak. This collection of essays explores the circumstances of an archaeological hoax in which a box of skeletal remains was passed off as belonging to James, the brother of Jesus. Contributors discuss the role of media sensationalism, the use and misuse of religion, and the responsibilities of scholars as public interpreters of discoveries with religious significance Offers an evaluation of the popular and scholarly reception of the James Ossuary as it emerged from the dimness of the antiquities black market to become a Protestant relic in the media's custody. This title explores the theory and practice couched in the debate about the object's authenticity.