The Brother of Jesus : The Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & His Family

The first definitive account of what scholars and the media are calling 'the most important archaeological discovery' about Jesus and his family. This is the definitive story of the recent discovery of the first–century ossuary (limestone bone box) with the legend 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus', and its implications for understanding Jesus, his family (mother, father, brothers), his followers, the first Christians and the Jewish Christian movement in Jerusalem that James led. This ossuary is the first ever archaeological discovery directly confirming the existence of Jesus, and his relationship to his father, Joseph, and brother, James, who became the leader of the important Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem. No one is as qualified and well connected to recount the discovery and its authentication as Hershel Shanks, whose magazine first broke the story. The first book on the James Ossuary discovery—with new arguments for its authenticity. “A scientific detective story with extremely high religious stakes.” —TimeThe discovery of a limestone burial box with the inscription “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus” set the world of biblical archaeology abuzz. Could this be the first tangible proof of Jesus'existence? Hershel Shanks, celebrated for making biblical archaeology accessible to general readers, and Ben Witherington III, leading New Testament expert, reveal not only what the discovery means for understanding the Bible, but what it shows about the family of Jesus and the earliest Christians—and what it may mean for the most fundamental and deeply held beliefs of the church.“The simplest explanation is the likeliest... the James Ossuary is what it seems, the earliest recorded reference to Jesus of Nazareth.” —The Wall Street Journal“Biblical archaeologists may have found their holy grail.” —Newsweek“This could well be the earliest artifact ever found relating to the existence of Jesus.” —The New York Times

The first definitive account of what scholars and the media are calling 'the most important archaeological discovery' about Jesus and his family.

This is the definitive story of the recent discovery of the first–century ossuary (limestone bone box) with the legend 'James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus', and its implications for understanding Jesus, his family (mother, father, brothers), his followers, the first Christians and the Jewish Christian movement in Jerusalem that James led. This ossuary is the first ever archaeological discovery directly confirming the existence of Jesus, and his relationship to his father, Joseph, and brother, James, who became the leader of the important Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem. No one is as qualified and well connected to recount the discovery and its authentication as Hershel Shanks, whose magazine first broke the story.

The discovery of a limestone burial box with the inscription, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" set the world of biblical archaeology abuzz. Hershel Shanks and Ben Witherington III reveal not only what the discovery means for understanding the Bible, but also what it shows about the family of Jesus and the earliest Christians. Argues that an ossuary found in Jerusalem with the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" is an authentic link to Christ, and discusses the role of Saint James in the early church To say that Andre Lemaire is always on the prowl doesn't sound very scholarly.