Jesus and the Ossuaries: What Burial Practices Reveal about the Beginning of Christianity

Description

Craig Evans has written another excellent book, Jesus and the Ossuaries. The unfortunate title, probably intended to pick-up on the popular and controversial Jame's Ossuary discovery, does not convey the breadth of the inscriptions covered in this book. Ossuaries, tomb and other stone inscriptions bearing text relevant to New Testament and early Christian traditions are well covered in this book. Pertinent Jewish burial practices are also clearly presented. While this book is an excellent resource, loaded with exceptional footnotes, it is also very readable. It is well written, compelling, yet scholarly. If only more authors would write like this! The inscriptions are organized logically, with brief explanations of their significance, the story of their discovery, their controversies, and ample footnotes for further study. The Jame's Ossuary is fairly covered near the end of the book, without any special prominence over the other material. The popular media tends to portray archeology in terms of a glamorous quest for ancient gold and riches, but in reality, it is the textual discoveries that archeologists find priceless. Craig Evans book amply demonstrates why this is true.