Jesus' Brother's Ossuary Discovered in Israel (4 photos)
A 2,000-year-old ossuary has been found in Israel. The inscription on the urn reads: "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." 
Since the names on the box match those of the brother and father of Jesus of Nazareth, many believe that it once held the remains of James the Just, the first bishop of Jerusalem.
The ossuary can currently be seen at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, USA, where it is part of an exhibit featuring 350 historical artifacts from the time of Jesus. The find is considered the most significant exhibit. 
Its owner, Oded Golan, was accused of forging the inscription: experts claimed he added the phrase "brother of Jesus." However, the Israeli antiquities collector defended his honor during the trial.
While Golan was acquitted of all charges, the judge said the verdict "does not mean that the inscription is authentic or that it was written 2,000 years ago."
"We have done several chemical tests and confirmed that the inscription is authentic and was engraved several thousand years ago," Golan told Crosswalk Headlines last week. 
If the inscription is authentic, the ossuary will be the oldest material evidence of Jesus' existence.
In the first century, Jews placed the body of the deceased in a niche of the burial cave, and about a year later, when the body had decayed, the bones were placed in a box made of Jerusalem limestone.
Some theologians doubt the authenticity of this box, believing that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. And the ossuary itself is empty.
The Bible mentions Jesus' brothers several times: James, Jude, Simon, and Josiah. James' name always comes first, indicating that he was the eldest among them. Also, several passages indicate that James and his brothers did not immediately believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
James is believed to have died a martyr's death either in 62 CE, stoned to death by order of the High Priest, or in 69 CE, when the scribes and Pharisees threw him from the top of the Temple. 
In 2017, another artifact linked to the name of Jesus' brother was discovered - a 1,600-year-old heretical document. It described how Jesus imparted knowledge of heaven and future events, including the imminent death of James.
A text from the "First Apocalypse of James" mentions James as Jesus' brother. This writing was banned because any editing of the New Testament was unacceptable.
