Roman era nails found in unearthed burial tomb 'were used to crucify Jesus'
In November 1990, archaeologists in south Jerusalem were taken aback as they discovered a burial cave containing 12 bone boxes, two of which bore the name 'Caiaphas' - the New Testament cites him as the high priest integral to Jesus' crucifixion.
The find also included two Roman-era nails, with one nestled within a box and another lying on the ground beside an ossuary, hinting at first-century burial customs that involved interring individuals with items for their afterlife journey.
Documentary maker Simcha Jacobovici suggested that Caiaphas, haunted by his part in condemning Jesus, might have wanted these iron pieces as companions for eternity. The nails then disappeared for roughly two decades until Jacobovici reopened the investigation, conducting a fruitless re-excavation of the tomb, followed by a detective mission on Amazon Prime's Decoding The Ancients.
During the programme, he shared his perspective from 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."
He aired further conjecture, postulating a promising direction for inquiry: "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 pressed on: "Could it be 18 years ago?" And the Professor conceded: "Yeah, could be." Seizing on the moment, Mr Jacobovici asserted: "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?"
Dr Hershkovitz provided further insight: "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 was taken aback by a striking discovery: the crucifixion nails in his possession matched up with the only ones of their kind found globally, also residing in his lab. The series' narrator conveyed a sense of awe: "It seems there are the missing nails, the nails which came from Jesus' cross."
The chamber tomb, unearthed by builders in November 1990, was nestled in the Peace Forest, merely a short distance from Jerusalem's North Talpiot area, reports the Mirror US. All That's Interesting noted that Caiaphas is believed to have delivered Jesus to the Romans for crucifixion in 33 A.D., and according to LiveScience, these same nails were initially discovered within a decorated ossuary in his burial place.
Despite general scepticism among scholars regarding scriptural specifics, Caiaphas emerges as a reference of historical veracity. If the ossuary can indeed be linked to the infamous high priest, it would validate the New Testament account and provide a richer understanding of Jesus's historical context.
However, controversy has hung over the ossuary since its revelation, with some experts questioning its relation to Caiaphas due to irregularities such as misspellings on the inscription, a lack of direct mention of his role as High Priest, and the grave's unassuming nature.
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Each was serenely at odds with the screams, pain and anger that had accompanied the deaths of their owners. It was a beautiful early Spring day in 2001 and the Second Palestinian Intifada - or uprising - was now into its sixth month. Hot and weary after an afternoon spent interviewing some Palestinians about where they thought the uprising was now heading, I had sought sanctuary from the tension of the streets in the West Bank town of Ramallah in the cool and calm of the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre art gallery. Here, only the tapping of shoe heels and gentle sputtering of the candles that lined the dimly lit gallery floor intruded on the quiet. I had already witnessed so much killing in the years that I'd spent covering this battle of wills between Israelis and Palestinians. 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Malnourished mothers can no longer produce milk to breastfeed their children, the injured are unable to heal and hospitals have run out of nutritional supplements to treat countless emaciated infants like Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq. Just a few days ago, countries including Britain and many member states of the European Union (EU) condemned the 'drip feeding' of aid. But let's call this man-made starvation for what it really is given that any inadequate provision of aid to civilians on terrain that is, in effect, under occupation is a war crime. In response Israel says such criticisms are 'disconnected from reality.' But for so long now - going back decades - it has been Israel that has chosen to block out the uncomfortable reality of what it was becoming. Those journalists like myself and others, who have watched this perverse metamorphosis began witnessing the tell-tale signs years ago. 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From what I witnessed in Ramallah and elsewhere during those days, it was evident that the Israeli army's 'tactics' made a mockery of its claim to believe in 'purity of arms'. More recently in Gaza this contradiction has been borne out time and again. This weekend as France prepares to declare its recognition of a Palestinian state and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer comes under increasing pressure to do the same, his [[Israel]]i counterpart Benyamin Netanyahu and his coalition government appears undeterred. Speaking recently about French president Emmanuel Macron's insistence that recognising Palestine was a 'moral duty', [[Israel]]'s defence minister, [[Israel]] Katz, pledged [[Israel]] would further tighten its grip on the West Bank.. 'They will recognise a Palestinian state on paper - and we will build the Jewish-Israeli state on the ground,' he said. 'The paper will be thrown in the trash can of history and the State of Israel will flourish and prosper,' Katz attested. Bold words, but ones that as a long term observer of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I believe have an increasingly hollow ring. Instead, I'm of the view that we are fast approaching a critical juncture in this seemingly interminable battle of wills. Read more Tears and trauma: David Pratt in Ukraine DAVID PRATT ON THE WORLD: Whatever happens in Brazil's resentful and rancorous election, the result will have major repercussions for us all David Pratt in Ukraine: It's hard to comprehend this level of destruction David Pratt: Kremlin's protestations have a hollow ring as atrocities mount up 'IRRESISTIBLE FORCE' YES, I know talk of a 'turning point' has been mooted many times in the past, but there is just an inkling that the political ground is shifting on both sides of what the Israeli writer Amos Elon once described as an 'irresistible force colliding with an immovable body'. Forget the River Jordan, for it's the Rubicon that is being crossed here for both Palestinians and Israelis alike. Given what has unfolded in Gaza, there is no going back to the way things were for either side and that in itself could lead to a tectonic political shift. Much of the world now sees through Israel's victimhood veil and Netanyahu's use of war to keep himself in power has all but run its course. As for the Palestinians, they must seize the opportunity to capitalise on any growing goodwill like never before and endeavour to do what they have failed to achieve for the past thirty years - unity. As for the international community, to repeat Raja Shehadeh words, 'it will be our humanity, not international law' that will in the end win the day. All these remarks might seem out of step with the political moment, but the irrefutable fact is that there will be no peace until there is a Palestinian state. To that end I for one can't help but sense a whiff of change in the air. Insubstantial yet perhaps, but undeniable, nonetheless.
