'Missing nails from Jesus' crucifixion' unearthed in Jerusalem burial cave

Irish Daily Mirror

4 days ago

In November 1990, archaeologists in south Jerusalem were taken aback when they discovered a burial cave containing 12 bone boxes, two of which bore the inscription 'Caiaphas' - the high priest who, according to the New Testament, had a crucial part in the crucifixion of Jesus.
Alongside these ancient items were two Roman-era nails, one found within a box and another lying on the ground beside an ossuary. In those times, it was customary for individuals to be buried with items they deemed necessary for their journey to the afterlife.
This discovery prompted filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici to suggest that Caiaphas, possibly haunted by his involvement in condemning Jesus, wished to take these iron artefacts with him into eternity. However, these nails disappeared for almost two decades until Mr Jacobovici resumed the investigation, leading an unsuccessful re-excavation of the tomb and later following their trail during an episode of Amazon Prime's Decoding The Ancients.
On the programme, he presented his hypothesis in 2004: "If my hunch is right, and the Israeli archaeologists who were involved in the Caiaphas tomb suspected that the Roman nails found there had something to do with crucifixion, maybe they sent them to Professor Hershkovitz' lab at Tel Aviv University. Now, he's a forensic anthropologist, he deals with bone, not nails, but crucifixion is where bone meets the nail." The High Priest Caiaphas as depicted in the TV show The Chosen (Image: THE CHOSEN)
He further speculated on a potential lead: "So maybe someone sent the nails there, maybe that's the right address for our investigation."
Mr Jacobovici probed Professor Israel Hershkovitz with a pointed question: "We've been tracking two nails that went missing and the antiquities authority say it was probably misplaced, did you ever get two nails together?" To which Dr Hershkovitz admitted: "Yes, we have two nails together, yes from Jerusalem. These are the two nails from Jerusalem that arrived in the lab more than 15 years ago from the second temple period."
An eager Mr Jacobovici swiftly followed up: "Could it be 18 years ago?" The Professor conceded: "Yeah, could be."
Seizing on this, Mr Jacobovici put forth: "It's the only example of two nails arriving together and the fact that they're bent this way, would this be consistent with crucifixion?" Mary Magdalene witnessed Christ's crucifixion and resurrection (Image: Getty)
Dr Hershkovitz expanded on the point: "It could be, if you put the nail through the palm of the hand, you can easily free the hand. But if you put the nail through the palm of the hand, then stick it to the wood by bending the nail, the palm of the hands are attached to the crossbar. The fact that they are bent is more consistent with crucifixion than if they were straight."
He also disclosed: "There are remnants of lime on one of the nails, that's what most ossuaries are made of." Nails 'came from Jesus' cross'
Professor Hershkovitz made an astonishing revelation, reports the Mirror US, when he discovered that the nails corresponded with the sole crucifixion nails discovered globally, which are also stored in his laboratory. The programme's narrator declared with dramatic flair: "It seems there are the missing nails, the nails which came from Jesus' cross."
Construction workers uncovered the chamber tomb in November 1990, situated in the Peace Forest, mere metres from the North Talpiot neighbourhood. All That's Interesting documented that Caiaphas allegedly delivered Jesus to Roman authorities for crucifixion in 33 A.D. LiveScience reported that the nails were initially discovered inside an elaborate ossuary within his burial chamber.
Even amongst academics who routinely question biblical accounts, Caiaphas remains recognised as a historically authentic figure. If the ossuary genuinely belonged to the high priest and connects to him, it would validate the New Testament account whilst enhancing our understanding of Jesus' historical context.
However, since the tomb's original discovery, certain scholars have questioned its connection to Caiaphas. Their doubts stem from several concerns - irregularities in the inscription's spelling, lack of any clear mention of his position as High Priest, and particularly, the burial location's modest nature.