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Archaeologist hid 'Jesus tomb' for fear of anti-Semitism, widow says
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Jesus, Israel, Jerusalem 

The widow of the archaeologist who discovered the tomb in Talpiot that some believe to be that of Jesus of Nazareth, explained Wednesday in Jerusalem to a gathering of senior archaeologists and other scholars why her husband kept his discovery a secret.

In an emotional voice, Ruth Gat said that Yosef Gat, a Holocaust survivor, was afraid a wave of anti-Semitism would ensue if he did so. Speaking at the three-day Third Princeton Symposium on Judaism and Christian Origins at Mishkenot She'ananim in the capital, Gat also said, "I thank God his fears did not come true in light of the discovery of the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth."

"As a boy, he wandered around the lion's den of occupied Poland," she also said. "The memory of those days never left him. It was one of the things that held him back as an archaeologist and that was also the reason for his great caution."
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Yosef Gat worked as an inspector for the Israel Antiquities Authority for 27 years. He uncovered some 400 sites in the Negev and many other sites in Jerusalem.

The cave was uncovered in 1980, but was not made public until the mid-1990s. Last year, the story became widely known with the release of the documentary film >"The Lost Tomb of Jesus"
The film presents a cave uncovered in 1980 during construction work on an apartment building in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Talpiot. The tomb contained 10 ossuaries. Hebrew letters were inscribed on some, including those Jacobovici says should be read: Yehuda bar Yehoshua, Matya, Yose, Maria, and Yeshua bar Yehosef. The bones of 35 individuals were also uncovered, interred over three to four generations.

"I fell off the chair," Jacobovici said Wednesday following Gat's presentation. "She said the leading archaeologist, who I thought had claimed it was nothing, actually thought he had discovered the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, and as a Holocaust survivor was afraid it might lead to anti-Semitism."

Although most of those who spoke at Wednesday's seminar said it was possible the tomb was that of Jesus, Jacobovici's film was taken with a grain of salt.

"What Simcha did was good work, as long as it stays in the right perspective," said archaeologist Professor Shimon Gibson of the University of North Carolina. "We, the archaeologists and the historians, spend our lives trying to evaluate the information collected over time. The journalist, however, makes one film and moves on."

Professor Israel Knohl of Hebrew University said Wednesday that he saw no reason not to evaluate the tomb as Jesus' family tomb, although there was no unambiguous proof. He said surrounding caves should be excavated in order to obtain more proof, and explanations for various contradictions in existing evidence should be sought.

For example, Knohl said the tomb might not be impressive despite the fame of those purported to be buried there, because tombs were considered a source of great impurity. Other significant contemporaneous figures were also buried in unadorned tombs, with no evidence that they had become destinations of pilgrimage.

He said it was not surprising that the tomb, despite its presumed famed occupants, was forgotten. "Jerusalem was destroyed almost entirely at that time, and only a few people were left in the city."

The cave currently serves the residents of a nearby building as a storage place for worn Torah scrolls. A short time after its discovery in 1980, the bones and the ossuaries were reintered at a Jewish cemetery. Under pressure from the ultra-Orthodox, they were never studied and their age was never determined.

Following the pressure, it was also decided to seal another tomb found nearby in which a number of complete ossuaries were found, and apartments were built above it.

In response to arguments by scholars against his film, Jacobovici said Wednesday that it was a great honor that such an august group had gathered to discuss the matter. He said that when they made the film, the feeling of the public and the scientific community was that there was no chance it was the tomb of Jesus. Now, Jacobovici said, the consensus is that it might be true.



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      2.   Cheap publicity and deception 10:47  |  Isca 17/01/08
      3.   Over thinking the problem 11:11  |  Natallie Durson 17/01/08
      4.   #2 Cheap publicity and deception 11:27  |  Mike 17/01/08
      5.   I suppose it`s important to some Jews 11:33  |  Clickfool 17/01/08
      6.   I`ve seen the documentary,the reason it`s taken w/a grain of salt 11:42  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      7.   What makes the most sense with regard to this discovery... 11:52  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      8.   Not very scientific behaviour or? 11:55  |  Mars 17/01/08
      9.   #1Christians manipulating Jewish religion 12:05  |  HS 17/01/08
      10.   #8 "potential proof of Jesus existence?" 12:16  |  Mike 17/01/08
      11.   What a shame this was not studied further. 12:20  |  B`Galil 17/01/08
      12.   Christians manipulating Jewish religion 12:32  |  HS 17/01/08
      13.   Hey Virginia, Newsflash: Jesus was Jewish Rabbi from the Galilee 12:37  |  B`Galil 17/01/08
      14.   Under pressure from the ultra-Orthodox 12:40  |  SJ 17/01/08
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      17.   The `Holy Spirit` has a weird way of... 13:00  |  Edith 17/01/08
      18.   common Jewish names? 13:03  |  Edith 17/01/08
      19.   Jesus: The Rock that cannot be shaken.I`m so glad He`s in my life 13:07  |  Selah 17/01/08
      20.   Scientific objectivity 13:12  |  Davids 17/01/08
      21.   #16 lakshmi is there evidence that... 13:15  |  Edith 17/01/08
      22.   B`Galil, I agree. Should be studied. I also agree with Jesus` 13:21  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      23.   TO CLICKFOOL #5 13:23  |  dovale 17/01/08
      24.   No lakshmi, never read it. Have you ever read The Eye Witness 13:29  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      25.   B`Galil - History? 13:30  |  Davids 17/01/08
      26.   lakshmi, a book I would recommend is "The Case For Christ" by 13:37  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      27.   Lakshmi - fiction 13:37  |  Davids 17/01/08
      28.   Yes Edith, Jesus was a fairly common name then. 13:39  |  B`Galil 17/01/08
      29.   Click @ # 5, Not all, I worship Him with many 14:16  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      30.   A response to Clickfool - #5 14:25  |  Kate 17/01/08
      31.   Israeli`s complain about the 14:28  |  Paul Wood 17/01/08
      32.   The issue is NOT that many may see it this way, the issue is, 14:40  |  does God? 17/01/08
      33.   The discovery of Jesus`s tomb 14:46  |  Paul Wood 17/01/08
      34.   Okay, maybe four...I gave thanks for David`s lamp left before God 14:50  |  in Jerusalem 17/01/08
      35.   To VIRGINIA # 23 15:08  |  dovale 17/01/08
      36.   these stories are good for comic books if 15:18  |  nobodysacred 17/01/08
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      38.   Political and religious fanatics trump science 15:38  |  Mark Lincoln 17/01/08
      39.   dovale, please do share, a reason as yet unheard? 15:40  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      40.   With eyes tightly closed to the Messianic Israelis growing in # 15:58  |  Virginia 17/01/08
      41.   35.little white dove? actually i agree with you on this 16:01  |  muslim 17/01/08
      42.   monkey see monkey do 16:16  |  just faith 17/01/08
      43.   33Paul Wood,Virginia,David et al,Virginia & David while I admire 16:19  |  lakshmi 17/01/08
      44.   Jesus of Nazareth 16:22  |  Brod 17/01/08
      45.   To Muislim #41 16:31  |  dovale 17/01/08
      46.   to understand think "outside the box" 16:36  |  cory 17/01/08
      47.   45.little white dov not feeling well? 16:41  |  muslim 17/01/08
      48.   anti-semites, like Gnat Dursley of LA 16:44  |  akiva (zionist) 17/01/08
      49.   #6 and where was it written down virginia? 17:00  |  v hardman 17/01/08
      50.   #40 Virginia: Jews HAVE (a) G-D ! Please, respect this! 17:08  |  AliciaYasmeen 17/01/08
      51.   #31 Paul Wood 17:09  |  Chris Linthwaite 17/01/08
      52.   Muslim#41 - you speak of admiration for Jesus 17:22  |  William 17/01/08
      53.   #31 Paul Wood: Judaism forbids idolatry ! 17:41  |  AliciaYasmeen 17/01/08
      54.   ´B´GALIL 17:42  |  JoSE mARCIO 17/01/08
      55.   50. very good aliciayasmeen!! i agree 17:49  |  muslim 17/01/08
      56.   Virginia #22 - Everyone is a son of man 17:55  |  B`Galil 17/01/08
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      62.   #57 Muslim: aleikum salaam 19:21  |  AliciaYasmeen 17/01/08
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