Israel may open ‘lost tomb’ of Jesus
Israeli authorities are prepared to consider opening to the public a 2,000-year-old burial tomb in Jerusalem, said by the makers of a new documentary to have likely been the final resting place of Jesus of Nazareth.
The documentary also asserts that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a son, Judah, who was buried in the tomb, along with Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ mother and other family members.
The Israel Antiquities Authority — responsible for the tomb, which was first uncovered in the Talpiot neighborhood in 1980 — said it would be up to the Jerusalem Municipality to make the decision, should a request be made.
“Lost Tomb of Jesus,” scheduled to air on the Discovery Channel at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 5, suggests that the so-called “James, Brother of Jesus” ossuary, which surfaced in 2002 in the collection if Israeli antiquities dealer Oded Golan, may also have come from the tomb. The ossuary has been branded a forgery by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, though it has many defenders.
Israeli-born filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and his colleagues gathered evidence, “including DNA analysis conducted at one of the world’s foremost molecular genetics laboratories,” according to the Discovery Channel Web site, to bolster their claim that the 2,000-year-old cave once held the remains.
Oscar winner James Cameron, executive producer of the documentary, claims that the style of burial seen in the ossuaries was followed for about a century, at the time of Jesus, for about 80,000 individuals. — jps
Jewmongous to perform in March
Jewmongous, the Jewish-themed rock band headed by Rockapella founder Sean Altman, is coming for two local concerts. The group is gaining notoriety for its Passover anthem “They Tried To Kill Us (We Survived, Let’s Eat).”
Altman was the driving force behind the comedy duo, What I Like About Jew, which toured and recorded last year. Altman was profiled in a New York Times feature about “the Jewish hipster movement.” He also sings with Kol Zimra and Voices for Israel.
Jewmongous will play 7 p.m. Sunday, March 25 at the Attic, 931 Pacific, Santa Cruz. Tickets are $18-$20. Information: (831) 460-1800 or www.theatticsantacruz.com.
It will also play in San Francisco at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at Cafe Du Nord, 2170 Market St. Tickets are $18-$20. Information: (415) 861-5016 or online at www.cafedunord.com. The band’s Web site is www.jewmongous.com.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California