The James Ossuary authenticity controversy

Record summary

An inscribed limestone ossuary reading “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus” became internationally prominent in 2002. Its first part was generally regarded as ancient, while the phrase concerning Jesus was alleged to be a modern addition. The ensuing Israeli police investigation and trial of collector Oded Golan made the artefact a major case study in relic authentication, biblical association, and media-driven apocryphal claims. The lead matters because the object’s religious significance depended on linking a common personal name to the New Testament figure, a link that remains disputed.