The Jerusalem Post has an interview with James Charlesworth, the chair of the Jerusalem Symposium that discussed the Jesus Tomb. He calls for more study. Since he is on sabbatical in Israel until April and will try to see of the tomb can be reopned for study. The inter view three pages long in the Jerusalem Post and I have made a link in News We're Watching. He says gainging the right questions are important.
There are several key elements ot the interview (1) He finds the cluster of names important as possibly pointing to Jesus' family, but does not believe the Jesus ossuary belongs to Jesus (DLB comment: But if it is not him, then who and what is it doing there? Losing a link to Jesus undermines the Jesus family claim. So it is hard to think one can have it both ways. No Jesus ossuary, but possibly Jesus' family is not very likely at all). (2) He stresses that Jesus had a body in resurrection. So he holds that there is no transmigration of the soul or mere disembodied spirit. (DLB Comment: This is correct and a crucual point.) (3) He expresses impatience with those who argue that the resurrection had a quality that prevents bones from being left behind. (DLB comment: This is hard to understand for one trying to defned the teaching of the texts, which declared a completely empty tomb in line with Jewish hope of a material quality to the resurrection, something Paul, as a former Pharisee, Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John seem very clear about. Paul is especially important here because resurrection is in line with the Jewish hope he had always believed–and he was converted to it. It is here that Charlesworth appears to be inconsistent)
In fairness, one could argue that what he wants to do is really get to the bottom of all of this–and the only way to do that is to carefully reinvestigate it all. The question is whether that really is necessary, given what we already know. Most are saying no.
Update: This discussion has been updated by James Charlesworth's note to the SBL. Bob Webb and I have comments on this further up the string in posts dated Feb 15, 2008. Search Charlesworth for the posts.
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