- 6/27/2025
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00:00An unbelievable discovery.
00:14This is it. This is absolutely it.
00:16A mind-boggling claim.
00:18The tomb of Jesus found.
00:20Jesus' body would have been laid right here.
00:22An unprecedented controversy.
00:25Quite frankly, you know, give me a call when somebody's got the real evidence on something like this.
00:28Can 21st century technology deliver that evidence?
00:32We're actually pushing the bounds of archaeology.
00:34And now, will a second tomb provide the ultimate proof?
00:38What's that?
00:39That's it, baby.
00:40That is a symbol of Christian resurrection.
00:52It's one of the most iconic images in Christianity.
00:56In the spring of 30 A.D., Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem by the Roman authorities.
01:02The Gospels agree that Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Jerusalem High Court and a secret follower of Jesus, takes possession of the body.
01:14But what happens next is not so clear.
01:16Christians believe that Jesus is placed in a tomb close to the site of crucifixion.
01:23And after three days, he rises from the dead, leaving behind an empty tomb.
01:32Tradition holds that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on this site.
01:36But no archaeological evidence for Jesus' tomb has ever been found here.
01:44Another account based on the Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus is ultimately buried in an unused tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had intended for his own family.
01:55But again, no evidence for such a tomb is found.
02:02All this changes in 1980.
02:06In the Jerusalem suburb of Talpyat, two miles from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, archaeologists uncover a 2,000-year-old tomb.
02:15It has strange markings, unlike anything previously discovered.
02:22The archaeologists remove ten limestone ossuaries, or coffins, from inside.
02:29Then the tomb is cemented over, an apartment complex built on top.
02:36But in 2007, filmmaker Simha Jakubowicz rediscovers the tomb.
02:41It's unbelievable.
02:43This is it.
02:43A new analysis of the archaeology leads Simha to a startling conclusion.
02:49He's convinced that he has found the Jesus family tomb.
02:55He bases his radical theory on the fact that six ossuaries found in the tomb are inscribed with names associated with Jesus and his family.
03:05There is a woman called Maria Mene.
03:08This is a Greek version of Mary.
03:10It's been suggested that this unique spelling is associated only with Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus' most celebrated companions.
03:20There is also a Maria, a name identified with Jesus' mother, and a Yose, a nickname associated with one of Jesus' brothers.
03:33Most surprisingly, in this cluster of names, there is also a Jesus' son of Joseph.
03:41Though the implications are shocking, some scholars are open to the possibility.
03:46All the tombs around Jerusalem are slowly getting exposed and, in some cases, destroyed.
03:52So it's not so far-fetched that a construction crew would have uncovered the tomb of Jesus.
03:59I think we have to consider it, that this Talpiot tomb might be the tomb of the family of Jesus.
04:05When the story breaks, not everyone is so open to that possibility.
04:11This is front-page news. It's on all the evening broadcasts.
04:15This is very much the talk of Jerusalem.
04:17For me, it represents the worst kind of biblical archaeology.
04:20I don't see the evidence for it anywhere.
04:22I'm going to base my beliefs on the scriptures, which hold together far better than the kind of farcical documentary we're talking about here.
04:29As the controversy rages, Sinha and his team shift their focus towards another archaeological site.
04:36One he hopes will provide additional evidence to back up his claims.
04:41It's a second tomb, located less than 200 feet away from the alleged tomb of Jesus.
04:48I think we got a tomb.
04:49So this is where we're going.
04:51It's perfect.
04:54This tomb was discovered in 1981, when drilling at a construction site accidentally exposed it.
05:02Archaeologists entered through a hole in the tomb's ceiling.
05:06They took some notes and made a rough map of the burial cave.
05:11Orthodox religious groups, believing that any modern intrusion disturbs the dead, forced the archaeologists out of the tomb.
05:18But not before they took these recently found black-and-white photos.
05:25The tomb was once again sealed.
05:28For religious purposes, a pipe was installed into its roof.
05:32In 2009, cement was poured down the pipe, barring access to the tomb.
05:38But it still serves as a marker that the tomb is somewhere beneath this area of the apartment complex.
05:45Simha and his team believe this second tomb may belong to some of Jesus' earliest followers, possibly even of Joseph of Arimathea.
05:56The two tombs were found on a hill set apart from the other burial caves in the area.
06:03They appear to be on a first-century rich man's estate, complete with wine press and ritual bath.
06:11And there are clues here that this hill in Talpiot was a sort of hub in the wheel of religious and political power.
06:20Behind you is Herod's Herodium, which is Herod's tomb, Herod the king of the Jews.
06:27And then if I turn around this way, is the temple in Jerusalem.
06:30And then behind me, it's called the Hill of Evil Council.
06:37And it's the traditional spot where the priests were meeting to condemn Jesus.
06:43And so you have to wonder whether this location might have more of a meaning than just hearing,
06:49oh, a tomb was found in Talpiot in some apartments.
06:52It seems to have sort of a strategic meaning.
06:54Simha is becoming convinced that modern Talpiot is Joseph of Arimathea's estate.
07:03What's more, in Hebrew, Arimathea means two hills.
07:08And this area in Talpiot is still dominated by two hills.
07:13If Simha can find evidence that this second tomb belongs to Joseph of Arimathea,
07:19that would go a long way towards backing up his original claim
07:22that just 200 feet away is the Jesus' family tomb.
07:28The first challenge is how to get into the tomb under this building.
07:32Then we can crawl in this way.
07:34I see.
07:35But before their search gets underway, chaos.
07:42The Haredin are an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group,
07:46and they don't want the dead disturbed.
07:48They managed to shut down the excavation.
08:18As they did with the original exploration back in 1981.
08:26Simha and fellow producer Felix Kolibov go to the center of Haredi life
08:31to meet the rabbi in charge of the activists who disrupted the investigation.
08:37They need to arrive at some sort of compromise.
08:40After hours of negotiations behind closed doors,
08:46the Haredim agree to a limited exploration of the tomb.
08:50As long as Simha and Felix always let them know what they are doing
08:54and never touch the bones of the dead.
08:57With the problem behind them,
09:00Felix gets hold of the map drawn when the tomb was originally discovered in 1981.
09:04They know it's not 100% accurate,
09:09and they're not sure where exactly under the apartment building the tomb is located.
09:15But it can't be far from the original pipe.
09:18That's great.
09:19They are now convinced that at least part of the tomb lies underneath this corridor.
09:24But are they right?
09:28They know exactly how to find out.
09:32Ground Penetrating Radar, or GPR.
09:38GPR works by sending a radar signal below the surface,
09:43detecting unusual materials, or in this case, a void.
09:46The GPR scans the entire corridor,
09:51looking for an unusual space beneath the tiles.
09:55Felix's calculations lead him to one tiny corner.
09:59This is a magic corner. Did you see anything?
10:02There is something there.
10:03You can see here the edge of the void.
10:06The long and the short of it,
10:07is Felix right where he thinks we can put our probe?
10:12Yes, yes, he's right.
10:13There is an area approximately 60 centimeters along the wall,
10:18and about 40 centimeters away from the wall.
10:20Felix believes the only way into the burial cave
10:23is through a space not much bigger than a sheet of paper.
10:28They may have found the tomb.
10:31Now, they have to find a way to get in.
10:41With the use of ground-penetrating radar,
10:43Simha, Felix, and their team
10:45have located a first-century Jesus-era tomb
10:49under a Jerusalem building,
10:51but they don't know how to access it.
10:53So we have to find a way of getting in.
10:55The team has been joined by historian James Tabor
10:59and archaeologist Rami Arav,
11:02who was not previously involved
11:03in the Jesus family tomb investigation.
11:05They have received official permits to explore the tomb.
11:10The idea would be to dig here in the corner.
11:13Because of their compromise with religious activists,
11:17they must find a way to explore the burial cave
11:20without going in themselves.
11:22The solution may be in this small warehouse in Canada.
11:29They enlist the help of Walter Klaassen,
11:32a legendary builder of animatronics
11:34as well as robotic camera platforms for film and television.
11:38We do all the software, the electronics,
11:42all the hardware is done here in-house.
11:46Walter's challenge is to build a robotic arm
11:48mounted with a camera
11:49that can fit through a small drilled hole.
11:53The device must also be maneuverable enough
11:55to allow the team to document every inch of the tomb
11:59and the ossuaries inside.
12:01I had an architect take this floor plan
12:04and drawing of the tomb and superimposing on each other.
12:08Felix has a rough idea of the tomb's dimensions.
12:12What's your guesstimate again
12:13as to how high the tomb is?
12:15I would say from one meter to a meter and a half.
12:18That's kind of difficult because the height limits me
12:21on how I can get something in,
12:24tilt it up, and then go forward.
12:26One other thing you will have to consider
12:28is if we do go in here...
12:29Remote camera expert Bill Tarrant
12:31shows Walter the camera he intends to use
12:34to record the images from the cramped
12:36three-and-a-half-foot-high burial chamber.
12:39How heavy is this?
12:40It's about four pounds.
12:41Oh, so we're going to have to carry this
12:43at the end of a three- or four-meter arm.
12:46Yeah, so it's going to be...
12:47The camera is in a tough metal housing,
12:49and it's heavy.
12:50Oh, I see.
12:51But if they get into the tomb,
12:53and it's related to Jesus' earliest followers,
12:56what might they find?
12:58What would an early Christian symbol look like?
13:01Simha travels to Rome,
13:06one of the few places on earth
13:08where such early Christian symbols
13:10can still be seen.
13:13The catacombs are miles and miles
13:16of Christian burials
13:18that run under the streets of the city.
13:21Robin Jensen, an expert on early Christian art,
13:25points out the earliest Christian symbols.
13:27In this place, in this particular catacombe,
13:30this would be one of our earliest pieces.
13:32How early can you take it?
13:34Cannot be much earlier than the 4th century.
13:37Here, we see three of the earliest Christian symbols.
13:41The key role,
13:42the first two Greek letters of the word Christos.
13:46The anchor, a symbol of faith.
13:48And the fish, with scales and gills,
13:54a symbol of the Christ.
13:57But the most popular biblical image
13:59for Christians in the catacombs
14:01is Jonah and the whale.
14:04Oh, wow.
14:05Here we have Jonah.
14:06Jonah is Christian?
14:07Absolutely.
14:08This story is a very important story
14:10for funeral art in particular,
14:12and it's the most popular.
14:14Why is it the most popular?
14:16It tells the story of death and resurrection.
14:20Jonah, like Jesus,
14:22dies,
14:24and he's resurrected
14:25when he is regurgitated.
14:27Spat out.
14:28As he spat out.
14:29And so that's even in the New Testament.
14:31It's a sign of Jesus' death and resurrection.
14:33So when you see Jonah being spat out,
14:37that's a quintessential Christian symbol.
14:40Until about the middle of the 4th century.
14:43And then he disappears.
14:46After months of preparation,
14:50the team gathers in Jerusalem
14:51in an attempt to crack Christianity's ultimate secret.
14:59We're studying a little bit of history.
15:01We've got police,
15:02we've got the Israel Antiquities Authority,
15:04we've got religious supervision,
15:05we've got the Tenants Association.
15:07So where's the tension?
15:08I don't want tension.
15:09I want discovery.
15:11It's working?
15:12Perfect.
15:12So step one,
15:14small little hole.
15:15Six centimeters?
15:16Yes.
15:17If we're in the right place,
15:19then we go to step two.
15:2020 centimeters, 80 inches.
15:22All right, great.
15:23Let's do it.
15:24They have already drilled two feet deeper
15:45than their calculations suggested.
15:47Too much.
15:48It's possible that they are drilling in the wrong place.
15:53In retrospect,
15:54I think we should have gone at an angle to begin with.
15:57Yeah.
15:57Get inside,
15:58see where we are,
15:59and then putz around with them.
16:01We could try another meter in the same hole?
16:03No, first let's get an angle.
16:05And then do them at the angle.
16:06Let's just get in.
16:07Let's just get out of the satisfaction of getting in.
16:10Let's just get in.
16:11They now try drilling at an angle.
16:29Right inside.
16:34After years of research and effort,
16:37this is the moment they've been waiting for.
16:39I see the bottom.
16:41Can I see them clear?
16:42Hey, we're right where you said we'd be.
16:45Yeah.
16:45You are 100% right.
16:48They have their entry point into the tomb.
16:52But the only way of exploring it
16:53is with a robotic arm,
16:55which has only been tested in the lab.
17:02Walter Klassen now joins the team of archaeologists
17:05and investigators in the Jerusalem suburb of Talbiot.
17:08His newly created robotic arm
17:11is about to be used for the first time.
17:14It's been custom designed to explore an ancient tomb
17:17that is just below their feet.
17:19A tomb that filmmaker Simha Jakubowicz believes
17:22may be that of Joseph of Arimathea,
17:25the man who buried Jesus.
17:27The arm is deliberately low-tech.
17:33Simple levers control its movements.
17:35Compressed air is delivered to the controls
17:37by rubber hoses,
17:39clearly marking every direction.
17:40The team is moments away
17:46from finally unlocking the secrets of the tomb.
17:51Beautiful.
17:52Oh, excellent.
17:53Yeah.
17:54They use two access holes.
17:57A smaller camera is placed in one of them
17:59and lowered into the tomb first.
18:01This will be pointed at the robotic arm
18:03to help Walter and Bill
18:05orient the arm's movements
18:07in the tomb below.
18:09Okay, you guys ready?
18:10All ready.
18:11Let's go.
18:12Hey, guys.
18:12The moment of truth.
18:14The lightweight articulated arm
18:16that can unfold up to 10 feet
18:18is ready to be lowered.
18:21Is somebody holding it on the other side?
18:23It's all hands on deck
18:24to help maneuver it
18:26into the 8-inch pipe.
18:28Keep holding and lowering it down.
18:30I feel like a pilot, you know?
18:32All right, we have image.
18:37Camera expert Bill Tarrant
18:38finds his bearing
18:39and focuses the lens.
18:49Look at that.
18:50Look at that.
18:50Look at that.
18:50They see niches
19:04carved into the limestone walls.
19:09Inside these
19:10are ossuaries
19:11filled with human bones.
19:13We're almost there.
19:17Placed here
19:182,000 years ago.
19:20The robotic arm
19:28shows that there are
19:29nine burial compartments
19:30in this tomb.
19:32Four of them
19:32have ossuaries inside.
19:35They start with the niche
19:37that's closest to the door.
19:40Traditionally,
19:41this niche
19:42would house the ossuary
19:43of the man
19:44who commissioned the tomb.
19:48That's it.
19:50That's it?
19:51That's it?
19:52Yeah.
19:53Could this niche
19:54contain the remains
19:55of Joseph of Arimathea?
19:58The moment has arrived.
20:00The camera is slowly maneuvered
20:02between the ossuary
20:03and the wall.
20:08Walter feeds a snake camera
20:10down the housing.
20:10This camera is more flexible
20:13and will be able
20:14to get closer
20:15to the ossuaries
20:16than Bill's HD camera.
20:23They're looking for a name
20:25or a symbol.
20:28If you look at that,
20:28it's really ornate,
20:30befitting a wealthy person.
20:31Two circular rosettes,
20:35which are typical of ossuaries,
20:37are clearly visible.
20:39Most scholars believe
20:40that these are simply decorations,
20:43but others think
20:44that they have some
20:44as yet undeciphered meaning.
20:48They now notice
20:49a design carved into
20:50the center of the ossuary.
20:54Scholars call this
20:55a nefesh,
20:56or a pillar.
20:56Since the Hebrew word
20:59for pillar and rise
21:00are the same,
21:01it may be a symbolic reference
21:03to the afterlife.
21:06They continue to scan
21:07the ossuary on all sides,
21:10looking for new symbols
21:11or an inscription.
21:13But they find nothing more.
21:16They move the camera
21:17to the second
21:18of the four niches
21:19that need exploring.
21:21This one contains
21:22three ossuaries.
21:24Walter, can you drop down a bit?
21:26And retract a bit.
21:31Okay, coming back.
21:34Lids have inscriptions.
21:37Do you see anything?
21:39No, don't you.
21:40Inscriptions are not
21:41monumental inscriptions.
21:43They're not something
21:43that someone carved
21:44elaborately
21:45like those rosettes.
21:47They're tags.
21:48They're tags.
21:49You know,
21:49they're moving uncle
21:50and they're putting in grandma
21:51and they want to remember
21:52who's who.
21:53So they write
21:54almost graffiti-like sometimes.
21:56So we've just got to be
21:58systematic and careful
21:59that we don't kind of
22:01zoom by expecting
22:02to see some kind
22:02of big inscription
22:03when it's really
22:04some little graffiti.
22:06Can you lower?
22:07Yes, I can.
22:08This one is nice.
22:09And as they reposition,
22:15a discovery.
22:18Moo,
22:19Aleph,
22:20Ro,
22:20Aleph,
22:21Mara.
22:21Mara,
22:22where is she?
22:24M-A-R-A.
22:28They have seen this name
22:30before in the alleged
22:32Jesus' family tomb
22:33a few hundred feet away.
22:36There,
22:37one of the Marys
22:38is called
22:39Mariamene
22:40Amara.
22:41Mariamene
22:42is a particular
22:43Greek spelling
22:44of Mary
22:44that has only been found
22:46in two other
22:47ancient texts,
22:48both associated
22:49with Mary Magdalene.
22:53Bolstered,
22:54the team presses on.
22:55But just then,
23:07a cable snaps.
23:13The camera
23:14and the arm
23:15are stuck
23:16and there is no way
23:17for the team
23:18to get them out.
23:22The robotic arm
23:23sits crumpled,
23:24broken at the bottom
23:25of a 2,000-year-old tomb.
23:27The rope is wrecked,
23:29the arm is crooked.
23:31It's sort of
23:32a worst-case scenario.
23:33Okay, so if it was
23:34the boom rope
23:35that broke?
23:36Yes,
23:36the up and down.
23:38For designer
23:39Walter Claussen,
23:40it's a nightmare.
23:41Just, please,
23:42let me think about this.
23:43I can't talk.
23:51Here,
23:52pull hard.
23:52Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
23:56wait, wait, slow down.
23:59The snapped cable
24:00means he can't retract
24:01the arm
24:02and the way
24:03that it is currently bent
24:04means that it won't
24:05come up the hole.
24:07For several hours,
24:09Claussen carefully
24:10manipulates
24:11the broken arm.
24:13The exploration
24:14seems to be over
24:15before it really begins.
24:17I don't know
24:19if I can get it out.
24:20Have you got
24:21the motorized thing
24:22zoomed out?
24:22I'm doing the motorized thing.
24:24I'm going to see
24:24if I can try
24:25to retract the front end.
24:26Okay.
24:30It's coming in,
24:31Walter.
24:31Yes, I'm seeing it.
24:32That's...
24:33That's a good sign.
24:35Yeah, it's good
24:35that it's carrying it.
24:37Okay, pull on it
24:38now, Kevin.
24:40Pull.
24:41Walter finally
24:42gets the broken arm out.
24:44Slow, slow, slow.
24:45After two hours
25:01of surgery,
25:02the robotic arm
25:03is repaired
25:04and it's back
25:05in the game.
25:07They now position
25:08the arm
25:08to explore
25:09the third niche.
25:11It contains
25:11a single ossuary.
25:14No symbols
25:14of any kind
25:15but this niche
25:16contains something else.
25:19A lot of
25:19human skeletal remains.
25:27There are no
25:28inscriptions here
25:29and no hint
25:30of Joseph of Arimathea
25:32or anyone else
25:33that is related
25:34to Jesus.
25:36They are running
25:37out of options,
25:38ossuaries
25:38and niches.
25:41They move on
25:42to the last niche
25:43and the last
25:44two ossuaries
25:45to be explored.
25:50Archaeologist
25:51Ramya Rav
25:52now joins
25:52the search.
25:54I want to look
25:54at this one here.
25:57Walter,
25:58is it possible
25:59to go in further?
26:00Yes, it is.
26:01Let me try it.
26:02A lot of years,
26:04a lot of money
26:05and a lot of effort
26:06have been expended
26:08to get to this point
26:09but the clock
26:11on this expedition
26:11is about to run out.
26:16Where are we at now,
26:17Walter?
26:19I think we're
26:19kind of stuck
26:20but we're getting there.
26:23What's up?
26:24We're looking
26:25at the end
26:25of the other ossuary.
26:27Yes, we are.
26:28Yes, we are.
26:29This is number four.
26:30We are looking
26:31at number four, correct?
26:32Correct.
26:33So we're looking
26:33at the front.
26:34We are looking
26:34at this little piece
26:35here of the front.
26:36Oh, the side.
26:37Suddenly,
26:38Walter spots
26:38something unusual.
26:39No, no, no.
26:40Let me help you a bit.
26:41A cross.
26:42Greg, Greg.
26:42No, no, no.
26:43Go back.
26:43Did you see
26:44the cross there?
26:45No.
26:46In the middle.
26:46Here are the crosses, yes.
26:48Go up a bit, Bill.
26:49I'm going up.
26:50No, no, no.
26:51Slow down.
26:52Slow down.
26:52There.
26:53Where?
26:53Yes, that's right.
26:54This is the cross.
26:55The cross.
26:55Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
26:57Go down just a little bit, Bill.
26:58Go down a bit.
27:01Most historians
27:02believe the cross
27:03became a Christian symbol
27:04in the 4th century AD.
27:07So finding it
27:08in a 1st century tomb
27:10doesn't mean anything.
27:12But 1st century crosses
27:14that may be Christian
27:15have been found
27:17in Italy,
27:18at Herculaneum,
27:20in Naples.
27:25and by Rami Arav
27:29at his excavation site
27:30in the Galilee.
27:33If the cross
27:34was already
27:35a Christian symbol
27:36in the 1st century,
27:38then the team
27:38has just discovered
27:39the earliest
27:40Jesus-related cross
27:42ever found.
27:44On ossuaries,
27:45there shouldn't be anything
27:46which is made just
27:47for decoration.
27:48The whole thing
27:48is symbolic.
27:49The whole box
27:49is symbolic.
27:50The team
27:56has finished exploring
27:57all but one
27:58of the four niches
27:59containing ossuaries.
28:01So far,
28:02they examined
28:03five of the seven
28:04ossuaries.
28:06They hoped
28:06to find inscriptions
28:08or symbols
28:09that could throw light
28:10on the alleged
28:10Jesus' family tomb
28:12just 200 feet away.
28:15I think we're
28:16doing pretty good.
28:17We've got
28:18a pillar,
28:19which could be
28:20seen as referencing
28:21the afterlife.
28:22We have a cross
28:22which I think
28:23is a Christian cross
28:24and we have
28:25an inscription,
28:26a Mara,
28:27which references
28:27the other tomb
28:28and can be read
28:29as Our Lady.
28:30But I don't think
28:31it gives any kind
28:32of conclusive connection
28:33to the Jesus tomb
28:34nearby.
28:35We've got to have
28:36more.
28:37In the last
28:37of the niches,
28:38they continue
28:39to explore the
28:40ossuary with the
28:41cross on it
28:41and its neighbor.
28:43All right,
28:43go back.
28:45You've got
28:45control again.
28:47The work
28:48is painstakingly
28:49methodical.
28:50You can see
28:50on your monitor
28:51where you are.
28:52But suddenly,
28:54it pays off.
28:55I see something
28:56in the ossuary
28:57in the back,
28:58the one that's
28:58blocked by the ossuary
28:59in the foreground.
29:00Oh!
29:02See there, there, there.
29:03What is that?
29:03Whoa!
29:10Wow!
29:11Wow!
29:12Are we looking at,
29:12I mean,
29:13is this the bottom part?
29:14This is the top
29:15and there's this
29:15little ball on the bottom.
29:16Oh, wow.
29:17Yeah, there's a bowl.
29:19I'm just going to
29:20orient myself.
29:21Yeah, and you can see
29:21on your monitor
29:22where you are.
29:24Oh!
29:26There, there, there.
29:28Wow!
29:29Look at that.
29:30It's amazing in here.
29:31That is amazing.
29:32It's a nefesh.
29:33This is the bottom.
29:35Rami sees the
29:36squeezed image
29:37and thinks it may be
29:38another example
29:39of a nefesh,
29:40a pillar,
29:41like the one they
29:42found in the first
29:43niche.
29:43Hey guys,
29:45that, that's
29:46no pillar.
29:47It's definitely
29:48something else.
29:49I haven't seen
29:49anything similar
29:50to this.
29:53Better, that's better.
29:54There, it's like
29:54a lot of gold.
29:55Coming, coming.
29:56Those could be
29:57the handles.
29:59Look here.
30:00Just look here
30:00very carefully.
30:02But then,
30:03a revelation.
30:05It's a fish.
30:07Of course,
30:08it's a whale.
30:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:09It's a fish.
30:10It's a whale.
30:11It's a whale.
30:11It's a whale.
30:12It's Jonah.
30:12It is a whale.
30:13Oh my God.
30:14Oh my God.
30:15Jonah holding his head.
30:17That's Jonah's head,
30:19spitting Jonah out.
30:20Two legs,
30:21two arms,
30:22and his head.
30:22Yes.
30:22He's spitting Jonah
30:23out of the whale.
30:24That is absolutely it.
30:25That is a symbol
30:27of Christian resurrection.
30:31The team is convinced
30:32that what they are
30:33looking at
30:33is a great fish
30:34spitting out Jonah.
30:37Unlike the later
30:38Christians of Rome
30:39who depicted Jonah's
30:41fish as a sea dragon,
30:43Jesus' earliest followers
30:44were Jewish.
30:46As a result,
30:47they depicted the fish
30:48here as edible,
30:50as kosher,
30:51meaning it has scales
30:53and fins.
30:55According to the
30:56biblical book of Jonah,
30:58when Jonah is spat out,
30:59his head is wrapped
31:00in seaweed.
31:03Here,
31:03they see a stick figure
31:04being spat out
31:05of a fish,
31:06its head purposely marked
31:08up by lines.
31:11All along the edges
31:13of this ossuary
31:14are little fish
31:15swimming in the sea.
31:20The image is unique.
31:22The discovery
31:23is revolutionary.
31:26Without a doubt,
31:27the sign of Jonah
31:28was the symbol
31:29of Jesus' earliest followers,
31:32the symbol
31:33of Jesus' resurrection.
31:34Because of the clarity
31:36of this first-century image,
31:38its precise meaning
31:39can be decoded.
31:41For Christians,
31:43or Judeo-Christians,
31:45believers in Jesus,
31:47it comes to mean,
31:48like Jonah,
31:50Jesus went into death.
31:51The fish is death,
31:53but came out of death.
31:55And on an ossuary,
31:56clearly,
31:57it's talking about
31:58resurrection of the dead.
32:00So this is the earliest
32:01representation of the resurrection.
32:03This is huge.
32:04It's absolutely huge.
32:08This discovery,
32:09the earliest Jesus-related symbol
32:11ever found,
32:13makes the investigators feel
32:14that their hunch
32:15has paid off,
32:17that they now have
32:18dramatic evidence
32:19that the tomb
32:20just 200 feet away
32:22from the one
32:22they are now investigating
32:23is the Jesus family tomb.
32:28But can they find more?
32:32They proceed to the back
32:33of the Jonah ossuary.
32:35They see something,
32:37but because of the wall,
32:38they can't get far enough
32:39from the image
32:40to tell what it is.
32:42They position the camera
32:43on the floor,
32:45looking up at the lid.
32:46The image on the back
32:49looks like the tail
32:50of a fish,
32:51but they cannot be sure.
32:53For help,
32:54they consult
32:55the black and white photos
32:56taken by the archaeologists
32:58in 1981,
32:59before they were chased
33:00out of the tomb
33:01by religious activists.
33:04Here,
33:04the image of the fish tail
33:06is clear.
33:07The fish seems to be
33:09diving into the ossuary.
33:11The pictures also reveal
33:13something else,
33:14something unexpected.
33:17Today,
33:18the Jonah ossuary
33:18is not in the same place
33:20where it was originally found.
33:22Then,
33:23it was taken out of one niche
33:24and placed in the one
33:25where it currently rests.
33:29Its original location?
33:31The first compartment
33:32on the right
33:33in the so-called
33:34patriarch's niche.
33:37Does this bone box
33:38hold the remains
33:39of Joseph of Arimathea?
33:41The evidence is tantalizing,
33:44but there's no inscription.
33:46There is, however,
33:47one last ossuary
33:48to explore.
33:56For the first time ever,
33:58the team has explored
33:59a sealed Jesus-era tomb
34:01using a robotic arm.
34:04They have discovered
34:04a unique image
34:06that may have been used
34:07by the earliest followers
34:08of Jesus.
34:10But their search
34:11is not over.
34:12They have one more
34:13ossuary to explore.
34:15Hand the boom right.
34:16Okay, coming up.
34:18So we're looking,
34:18now we're surveying
34:19three.
34:20Number three.
34:20We're right there.
34:27As they approach
34:28the last ossuary,
34:29they feel that lightning
34:30can't strike twice.
34:32but sometimes
34:35it does.
34:36Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait,
34:37stop, stop, stop.
34:39That's right.
34:40That's an inscription.
34:42That's it, baby.
34:47There's an omega,
34:48clear as day.
34:49There's a C,
34:50delta,
34:52eta.
34:54The inscription
34:55is in Greek,
34:56the dominant language
34:57of the wealthy
34:58in Jerusalem
34:59in the first century A.D.
35:01But what does it say?
35:03Theahu is God's name.
35:05Theahu in Greek.
35:07In English,
35:08it's pronounced Jehovah.
35:10So,
35:11that would be a verb.
35:12God is doing something.
35:16This and this,
35:17I can't get.
35:19The team
35:20contacts
35:21Professor James Charlesworth
35:22to help decipher
35:24the Greek inscription.
35:25You were supposed
35:26to arrive yesterday,
35:26but you have a bit
35:27of a colt.
35:28Yesterday would it
35:29be no good.
35:29We didn't need
35:30a Greek reader yesterday,
35:32but we do today.
35:33You're not going to
35:34believe it.
35:34Come on.
35:35Are you teasing me?
35:36Yeah, come on, come on.
35:36What have we got?
35:38And in the middle area
35:39between the two rosettes,
35:40you've got this
35:41Greek inscription.
35:43All right,
35:43I can read
35:44YAHO.
35:44We have this
35:45in the Jewish
35:46magical papyri
35:47as a way of referring
35:48to Yahweh or God.
35:50So here you have it
35:51in Greek,
35:52in UNSIOs,
35:52that means all caps,
35:54YAHO.
35:55And above,
35:55I'm suggesting
35:56it might be
35:57God or Zeus
35:59is now YAHWE.
36:00There you go.
36:01So that would be
36:03related to the Greek
36:04word Upsotheo,
36:05to raise up.
36:06What?
36:07Yeah, that's it.
36:08Upsalam,
36:09si,
36:09and omega.
36:10And that is
36:11UNSIO for
36:12UPSO-O,
36:13which in the Gospel
36:14of John
36:14is used
36:15for the resurrection
36:15of Jesus.
36:16UPSO-O,
36:17he is lifted up.
36:18I am lifted up,
36:21says Jesus.
36:21I am lifted up,
36:22I am raised up,
36:23UPSO-O,
36:24and the rest,
36:25I'm not sure
36:25I can read,
36:26a lamoth,
36:27pe,
36:27maybe an olive.
36:29It could be an olive,
36:30uh-huh.
36:31UPSO-O,
36:32apotuthan,
36:33if I would guess,
36:34from the dead.
36:37The first two lines
36:38are clear.
36:40The first word
36:40is Dios,
36:42which can be read
36:43as Lord,
36:44or God.
36:45The second word,
36:47Jehovah,
36:48the name of God
36:49in the Hebrew Bible.
36:51And then,
36:52a word,
36:53UPSO,
36:54which can mean
36:55has raised,
36:58will raise,
37:00or is raising.
37:02And finally,
37:04three letters
37:04that are not clear.
37:06They could be referencing,
37:08as Professor Charlesworth
37:09sight read,
37:10the realm of death.
37:13But the last three letters
37:15may actually be
37:16A,
37:18G,
37:19B.
37:21The last word then
37:22could be
37:22Agba,
37:24the Hebrew equivalent
37:25of UPSO.
37:27In this case,
37:29the inscription is
37:29translinear,
37:31Greek,
37:31Hebrew,
37:33Greek,
37:36Hebrew.
37:38And it reads,
37:39God,
37:41Jehovah,
37:43raise up,
37:45raise up.
37:47In every reading,
37:48it's a plea
37:49for resurrection.
37:52But there is another
37:53possible reading.
37:55There's a word
37:56that shouldn't be here,
37:58Jehovah.
37:58In the first century,
38:01mainstream Jews
38:02would never write
38:03God's holy name
38:04on an ossuary.
38:06That would be
38:07heretical.
38:08In this case,
38:10the inscription
38:10can be interpreted
38:11as,
38:12Lord,
38:14Jesus,
38:16rise up,
38:18rise up.
38:21The inscription
38:22found here
38:23strongly suggests
38:24that the people
38:25buried in this tomb
38:26believed in resurrection.
38:29On one level,
38:30it could be a plea
38:31for their own resurrection.
38:33Read in a different way,
38:35however,
38:35it's an exhortation
38:37for Jesus
38:38to resurrect himself.
38:41For James Tabor,
38:42the find is persuasive,
38:44convincing him
38:45that the tomb,
38:46just a few hundred feet away,
38:49is the ultimate
38:50resting place
38:51of Jesus
38:51and his family.
38:55This tomb
38:56has given
38:57a wider context
38:58to the other tomb.
38:59Before yesterday,
39:01if you had asked me,
39:02Talpia,
39:03Jesus' tomb,
39:04what do you think?
39:0550-50?
39:06I was already
39:07at 75%.
39:09By adding this tomb,
39:12I'm up to 95,
39:14easily.
39:16The implications
39:17are enormous.
39:18Does the very idea
39:20that Jesus' bones
39:21were placed here
39:22fly in the face
39:24of the most fundamental
39:25of Christian beliefs
39:26in Jesus' resurrection?
39:29Not according
39:30to Professor Charlesworth.
39:32The significance
39:32of what we have seen
39:33for the first time
39:34and any eye has seen
39:35for 2,000 years
39:36is that we have a whale
39:38with a mouth
39:39that's clothed,
39:40not a whale
39:40that's swallowing someone.
39:42And out of that mouth
39:43comes a human being,
39:45this symbol,
39:46here in Jerusalem.
39:48Near where Jesus
39:49was crucified,
39:49not far away,
39:51is a symbol
39:52of the belief
39:52that Jesus is raised.
39:54This is within decades
39:56of Jesus' death.
39:58I believe that this tomb
40:00can be the tomb of Jesus.
40:02And what we found
40:03in the tomb
40:04less than 200 feet away
40:06from the Jesus' tomb
40:07is evidence of that,
40:09hard archaeological evidence.
40:11They're celebrating
40:12his resurrection.
40:13So the way you put
40:14that together
40:15is their understanding
40:16is that Jesus
40:17has been lifted up.
40:19He's been exalted
40:20to heaven.
40:21Not necessarily
40:21that his bones
40:22went up to heaven.
40:24The bones can stay behind.
40:25They're like old clothing
40:26that you shed.
40:27And then you put
40:28on the new clothing.
40:30Their mission
40:31seems completed.
40:33Did the team
40:33find Joseph of Arimathea?
40:36They can't know for sure.
40:38But what they do know
40:40is that to a cluster
40:41of names
40:42that they already
40:43found compelling,
40:44they have now added
40:45to the archaeological data
40:47what they identify
40:48as an image of Jonah,
40:51a cross,
40:53a Marah inscription,
40:55and a first-ever
40:57resurrection statement.
41:00Based on these findings,
41:02the team believes
41:03that there are compelling
41:04reasons to conclude
41:06that Talpia, Jerusalem
41:07is the last resting place
41:09of Jesus' earliest followers,
41:12most of his family,
41:13and of Jesus of Nazareth himself.
41:16It will now be up to scholars
41:17to weigh the evidence.
41:20One thing is for certain,
41:22the debate is just beginning.
41:23algún will not be up to gdy
41:40to someone who will
41:41drop your hands
41:42by under attack.
41:43humid brief
41:45warning
41:45Of course,
41:46they will not look
41:48� for anyone
41:48who will show
41:49how we must
41:51you
41:52and
41:52will also
41:53Prozent
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