T
tammy
Guest
Jesus' good friend Lazarus...
In 1973, some ossuaries were found in a first century cave near Bethany. These ossuaries had etched on them various Greek and Jewish names. Many of these names are also found in the New Testament, and some of the ossuaries were etched with crosses, which probably indicates that the bones in them were of people who had been Chrstians.
All three of the names in this family - Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, were found together in the ossuary inscriptions.
These were all very popular names in Bible times, so finding these names on these ossuaries is not 'proof' of the accounts in the gospels. However, it is an interesting coincidence, and it does confirm the historican authenticity of the gospel accounts - that is, that these accounts fit well the historical setting of the Jerusalem area in the first century.
I worked at a funeral home and cemetery for a while... these forms of burial are still used today.
(An ossuary is a coffin for bones. The use of ossuaries was a common practice between about 20 BC and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. A body would be laid in a niche in the wall of a burial cave. A year later, when the flesh had decayed away, the bones would be placed into an ossuary.)
In 1973, some ossuaries were found in a first century cave near Bethany. These ossuaries had etched on them various Greek and Jewish names. Many of these names are also found in the New Testament, and some of the ossuaries were etched with crosses, which probably indicates that the bones in them were of people who had been Chrstians.
All three of the names in this family - Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, were found together in the ossuary inscriptions.
These were all very popular names in Bible times, so finding these names on these ossuaries is not 'proof' of the accounts in the gospels. However, it is an interesting coincidence, and it does confirm the historican authenticity of the gospel accounts - that is, that these accounts fit well the historical setting of the Jerusalem area in the first century.
I worked at a funeral home and cemetery for a while... these forms of burial are still used today.
(An ossuary is a coffin for bones. The use of ossuaries was a common practice between about 20 BC and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. A body would be laid in a niche in the wall of a burial cave. A year later, when the flesh had decayed away, the bones would be placed into an ossuary.)