Easter must be around the corner because here comes yet another conspiracy theory around Jesus. This time it's about a tomb that supposedly contains the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and their family and... we've heard it all before.
Canadian director James Cameron, of Titanic fame, and another Canadian director, Simcha Jacobovici, are responsible for this latest bit of irresponsible journalism. The Discovery Channel is being criticized for its sensationalism and lack of ethics in airing the documentary.
So, what of the claims? Israeli archeologist Amos Kloner, who was in charge of the 1980 investigation of the tomb which is the subject of the new claims by Cameron-Jacobovici, said "The claim that the burial site has been found is not based on any proof, and is only an attempt to sell." Archeologist Joe Zias, who spent a quarter-century at the Rockefeller University in Jerusalem, said "Simcha has no credibility whatsoever."
If you recall back in 2003, it was broadly reported that the remains of James, the brother of Jesus had been discovered - a claim that was disproven and demonstrated to be a fraud (see picture above). Jacobovici is still a believer in the fraud - likely because it helps with this current deception.
This is all so repetitive and typically inflammatory. Two years ago we had ABC's special that challenged the facts of the resurrection; last year we had NBC's "Dateline" featuring Michael Baigent and his claims in "The Jesus Papers;" and let's not forget "The Davinci Code." Now this from the Discovery Channel. I've also got a collection of magazine covers from "Time" and "Macleans," etc... with cover stories with titles like "The Shaman Jesus." Anybody see a trend. It's interesting that all of these "breaking" stories happen to coincide with the Easter season. No coincidence there I'm sure.
Why the media wants to jump on the bandwagon with these fringe players is beyond me, especially when their claims fly in the face of evidence. You can check out some more commentary at "The Point," if you like. Let's leave the last word to archaeologist Amos Kloner, who made the find in the first place: "I refute all claims and efforts to waken a renewed interest in the findings. With all due respect, they are not archeologists."
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