« Rush Limbaugh: Pelosi has "Gone Hormonal" | Main | Blasé About Torture »

February 24, 2007

Has Jesus's Body Been Found?

A new documentary some say will rock the Christian world with its claim that the coffins of Jesus and his family have been found in a 2000 year old cave will probably have a very different, more complex impact than some expect.

The filmmakers say the coffins hold the remains of Jesus, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene, as well as Jesus's brother and his son. Jesus's and the two Marys' coffins will go on display in New York on Monday.

Although the cave was discovered nearly 30 years ago and the casket inscriptions decoded ten years ago, the filmmakers are the first to establish that the cave was in fact the burial site of Jesus and his family.

"[W]orld-famous scientists, archeologists, statisticians, DNA specialists and antiquities experts" have contributed to the research the film claims establish that the caskets truly are those of Jesus of Nazareth and his family members.

What will this all mean? Obviously, many non-Christians and some Christians will believe it. Non-Christians may well look at the story as proof that Christianity is based on a lie and should be rejected. Some Christians will likely take it as proof that Jesus was a "good teacher" or a "prophet" whose good teachings should be followed, but that he was not himself "God," as fundamentalist Christianity views him. Many may believe that this is proof that Jesus did not rise from the dead, and that prophecies of his return mean we are awaiting the coming of another incarnation of the messiah spirit, a human teacher with divine inspiration who arrives at a crucial time in history to "save" mankind. These believe that Jesus was one of these just as Buddha, Krishna, and others have been – a belief that could someday form the basis for a uniting of the world's great religions under a modern "messiah."

In light of the controversy surrounding Dan Brown's book and the film "The Da Vinci Code," some will wonder if the "Illuminati" is about to reveal its Messiah, who, it is presumed, will claim to be the direct descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene – something that would be "proven" by DNA. This "Messiah" will enable a unification of the countries and religions of the world under a single individual, resulting in the promise of world peace, but the reality of world oppression by the "illuminated" few.

Fundamentalist Christians have actually been expecting a "great deception" like this and will take this "discovery" as proof that their beliefs are correct. We certainly are at a critical time in history – a time when all three of the world's great religions are expecting the return of the "messiah." Fundamentalist Christians alone view this as the literal return of the Messiah – Jesus of Nazareth. Others are awaiting a great teacher. Fundamentalist Christians believe that at this critical time in history just such a uniting figure will indeed appear, but that he will be a false Christ – the Anti-Christ – and that once most of the world is following him the real Christ will return to save those who refused to worship the Anti-Christ. They will hold to this belief, come Hell or high water. A documentary will not change their minds, it will only further cement their faith.

What is interesting to me is how widespread is the acceptance as a matter of fact that Jesus ever actually even existed. A convincing case can actually be made that he did not, and that in truth, Christianity is just another of a long history of religions that all shared similar themes of a Godman dying and being resurrected in order to save mankind. These likely originated in solar mythology.

I don't know the answer to any of this. But I find it fascinating, nonetheless.

Posted by Becky at February 24, 2007 12:43 PM