Corrected Reading of Rahmani Ossuary 701

 The Discovery Channel broadcast a documentary showing the alleged tomb of Jesus.  A scholar now says that they are mistaken on one Ossuaries.  The inscription shows the Ossuary to have contained the bones of two women, not Mary Magdalene.  The full publication can be found here.

SUMMARY POINTS OF DISCUSSION:

*The original transcription of the inscription was incorrect.

*The inscription does not read “Mariamene the Master”nor does the name Mariamene or Mariamne appear on the ossuary at all.

*The inscription reflects the writing of two distinct scribes who wrote in different forms of the Greek script.

*The correct reading of the inscription is “Mariame and Mara,” based on parallels from contemporary inscriptions and documents.

*The ossuary thus contained the bones of at least two different women, interred at two separate times, one named Mariame and the other Mara.

*No support exists for ascribing the ossuary to Mary Magdalene.

I watched the documentary and found it to be entertaining.  I am no scholar.  I will have to leave the details to them.  However, I did not find myself convinced that there is, as of the screening, enough evidence to definitively state that the tomb of Jesus was found.

Thanks to Bruce for providing the news report.