Well folks, he's at it again.  Everyone's favorite "Naked Archaeologist" (who isn't an archaeologist at all, but a film maker) Simcha Jacabovici has claimed to have found the nails used in Jesus' crucifixion.  According to Jacobovici, an excavation recovered the nails from a tomb containing ossuaries.  On the surface of one was inscribed the name "Joseph, son of Caiaphas," a recognizable name to Students of the Bible.  He was the Jewish high priest designated by the Romans and master-mind behind the plot to kill Jesus.  The discovery of the tomb in question is not news to the academic community, as the find was actually uncovered in 1990.  The tomb itself is austere, and hardly seems fitting for a high priest.  Enter Jacobovici with the smoking gun....well, not even smoking....and really no gun either.  The film debuts April 20th, when we can all decide for ourselves, but I am reserving judgment and am somewhat dubious about the claim.  An interest in the past and a camera do not an archaeologist make.  Be cautious folks.

 Here's the story:

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_8307.shtml

Posted by Professorburton at 11:27 AM CDT

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Since the discovery of the Dead Seas Scrolls in 1947, not to mention subsequent finds from similar caches, the Essenes have become and increasingly more prominent fixture in popular circles.  The Essenes were a sect of Jews who broke away from mainstream Judaism beginning in the second century BC.  It is possible that they descended from the Zadokite priests, whose tradition begin with a priest named Zadok in the 10th century BC.   They existed in small groups on the fringes of Jewish society, less common than the other two major groups, the Sadducees and Pharisees.  The Essens lived in monastic communities, believed in the immortality of the soul, devoting themselves to asceticism, abstinence from carnal pleasures, and poverty.

The most famous Essene community was, without a doubt, Qumran, on the western shores of the Dead Sea.  Qumran dates to the middle of the 2nd century BC.  The community was founded in order to preserve not only the Hebrew Bible, but also the apocryphal works of Jewish tradtion.  Here, the Essenes sought to reform Judaism, which they believed had been corrupted by the temple priests.  The means to accomplish this lay in controlling their tempers, fostering peace, ritual bathing, extended communal meals and fellowship, piety towards God, refusal to swear oaths, carrying weapons only for defense, and of course, a holding of strong apocalyptic belief in the judgment of the world and punishment of the unjust.

Sound familiar?  Well, it should.  Even if John the Baptist and Jesus were not directly involved with the Essenes, that they were influenced by this current of thought is clear.  The apocalyptic tenor of Jesus' message is evident in the New Testament.  When one considers the practices of Christians inherited from Jesus, one can't help but wonder at the connection.  Food for thought, salve for the soul.

Posted by Professorburton at 4:11 PM CST

Updated: Friday, 4 December 2009 5:00 PM CST

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