Christian Archaeology - Caiaphas Ossuary

Caiaphas Ossuary

Adherents of the Jesus myth theory argued in favour of Caiaphas's historicity. In 1990, an ornate limestone ossuary was discovered in the Abu Tor neighborhood of modern Jerusalem.

This ossuary appeared authentic and contained human remains. The Aramaic inscription on the side which read "Joseph son of Caiaphas." also appeared authentic. The bones in the ossuary were of an elderly man. According to the New York Times and a number of Biblical scholars, if the remains are proven to be those of Caiaphas, it will be an important confirmation of the New Testament account, and lead to greater understanding of the historical Jesus.

If true, the discovery would be an important confirmation of a significant segment of the New Testament account of Jesus leading to a greater understanding of the historical Jesus.

Since the original discovery, the identification with Caiaphas has been challenged by some scholars on various grounds, including the spelling of the inscription, the lack of any mention of Caiaphas's status as High Priest, the plainness of the tomb (although the ossuary itself is as ornate as might be expected from someone of his rank and family), and other reasons.