One big question left unanswered- have the inscriptions on the boxes been carbon dated? Yes the tomb itself may be 2000 years old, but it is possible for someone 1000 years later to have made the inscriptions...

In fact, it is much more than probable...the media will be made aware very soon...

Did you watch the show?

The only ossuary up for debate on it's legitimacy was Jesus' brothers. It's believe that "Brother of Jesus" was added later but it is fully believed that the inscriptions in relation to "Son of Joesph" to be authentic.

i'm no expert on carbon dating, but I don't think that it would matter if someone came in and made the inscriptions later because the material was made 2000 years ago. After the inscription was made, it just reveals another layer of 2000 year old material.

Right, and I think they said the patina on the James box matched. Does anyone know how the authenticity of an inscription is verified? Might the patina INSIDE the script be different from the patina on the rest of the box if the inscription is newer?

But there could be patina difference in the carvings. Also, the tomb was opened before 1980, sometime in antiquity. (the bones were not all in the boxes and were disturbed when the IAA examined the tomb in 1980) So we have no clue what happened in there really.

The patina match is not critical really. All that means is that it was buried in the same "cemetary" and would have had similar mineral elements in it's patina.

amy, its interesting how these posters chat with each other and forget that this is a forum to address queries to you. I will attempt to refocus them to the topic at hand.

Why does every poster assume this tomb is legit? The original tomb sits inside a basilica built over it to prevent this type of crass commercialization. The discussion about these ossuaries assumes they are legit, why? Anybody who wants to be a prankster and create a hoax can rummage thru innumerable tombs in Jerusalem, pluck out requisite named ossuaries with some bones in them, dump them in a spiffy tomb waiting for a 'discovery'ala hollywood hype. The suggestion of DNA and carbon dating is just a play to the galleries, they are meaningless gestures since proof of ownership and occupants of the ossuaries can't be ascertained. If you ask Amy a DNA related question she is not a DNA scientist so her answer is at best a guess.

She can't authenticate the patina either.

My point is the gnostics have been promoting so many tombs of Christ in so many countries and hyping each and every one of them as legit. Look at Rennes-le-Chateau, it has 3 contenders for the tomb, each complete with magdalene due to excess gnostic hype from Dan Brown fiasco. Since this hype has been toeing the gnostic line from the jump with its, we found bones, ergo no Resurrection. How naive´are folk to get suckered into such fatuous hype.

Since Amy is expert in the gnostic arena she can verify this 2,000 year long assault on the Church with their old, tired, worn out, used and abused mantra. Its time for the academics to tell the gnostics its time for them to pluck their marbles out of the sandbox, go home, and call it a day...forever. Jesus said His Church will last til the end of time and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Gnostics treied for 2,000 years to prevail and have not succeeded, what more proof do folk need to see the useless futility of their assaults.