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Royal Ontario Museum Statement: Oded Golan’s arrest/ James Ossuary

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) notes with great interest the reported arrest of Oded Golan, particularly with its implication to the highly debated authenticity of the James Ossuary inscription.

However, we have no new information pertaining to the James Ossuary itself that would lead us to conclude that it is not authentic. The Israel Antiquities Authority recently issued a report questioning the authenticity of both the James Ossuary and the Yehoash tablet (a rare post-Solomonic royal document). However, to date the ROM has obtained only the summary of conclusions of this report, but without the detailed appendices that describe the methodology of the tests. We remain open to considering all new information, but until we have the opportunity to study the detailed new evidence obtained by the Israel Antiquities Authority, we are unable to reasonably change our judgement about the Ossuary.

The ROM exists in part to help facilitate public understanding and debate about important artifacts and specimens. We considered the James Ossuary an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the scientific assessment of a new and controversial object by being the first museum to present it to the public, during an important gathering of biblical archaeology scholars, and by hosting a public debate among leading experts. This forms part of an ongoing process of scientific study and discovery, which many other famous artifacts have been undergoing for years.

The James Ossuary was on display at the ROM from November 15, 2002 to January 5, 2003. The loan was arranged through the Biblical Archaeology Society to coincide with their annual conference in Toronto last November, as well as two other international scholarly gatherings. Given the conferences, the ROM was the logical choice to be the first museum to display the James Ossuary, providing these academics access to the Ossuary and allowing opportunities for debate about its authenticity and origins.

Until the ROM receives convincing evidence to the contrary, we stand by our opinion that the James Ossuary is not a forgery. We had a limited amount of time to study it because of the amount of conservation work that was required after the Ossuary arrived at the Museum after being damaged in transit. The studies that were carried out on the inscription and broken fragments of the Ossuary, however, satisfied the ROM’s investigative team that it was an authentic artifact with an authentic inscription that might make it the Ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus.

An article in the current (July/August) issue of the Biblical Archaeology Review by Dr. Ed Keall, Head of the ROM’s Department of Near Eastern and Asian Civilizations, explains the studies that were done by the Museum in reaching its conclusion. Many other leading scholars also support this view, though others dispute it. There is always a question of authenticity when objects do not come from a controlled archaeological excavation, as is the case with the James Ossuary.

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Issue date:
July 23, 2003

For more information:
Media Relations
Tel.: 416.586.5547
Fax: 416.586.8022
E-mail: media@rom.on.ca

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