Ancient artifact may have held the bones of St. James
The magazine Biblical Archeology Review has announced a major new discovery near Jerusalem. It's an ossuary -- an ancient burial box for bones -- bearing the inscription Yaakov bar Yosef a khui Yeshua ("James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"). Some scholars believe that this may refer to St. James the Less, the apostle and "brother of the Lord" mentioned in the Holy Bible.
The story is already being widely reported in the secular press. (See The New York Times and the Associated Press, for instance.) You can expect to see much more coverage in the weeks ahead.
Some have suggested that this might force the Church to change the ancient teaching on the perpetual virginity of Mary. Don't worry. This doctrine is infallible, and is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit to be true. Despite what some scholars and reporters might think, this artifact does not contradict Catholic dogma. To convince yourself, and to prepare to defend the Faith to others, read the articles below.
1. Saint James the Less. There are two apostles named St. James: James the Greater (brother of St. John the Apostle) and James the Less (first Bishop of Jerusalem). The ossuary, if authentic, would have belonged to St. James the Less. Read more about him in this Catholic Encyclopedia article. More....
2. The Virgin Birth of Christ. An excellent article on the dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, which teaches that she was a virgin before, during, and after the conception and birth of her Divine Son. Excerpted from the 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia. More....
3. The Brothers of the Lord. The ossuary speaks of "James the Son of Joseph and Brother of Jesus," and the Bible calls James and three others "brothers" of Jesus. Does this contradict the irrefutable fact of Mary's perpetual virginity? Absolutely not -- and this article explains why. More....
