Gack.  I saw Cameron’s “Aliens of the Deep” on IMAX, and totally wanted to slap Cameron for that totally lame and hokey ending.  I can’t imagine that he’s going to manage to separate fact and fantasy anymore than the fundies with their undies in a twist.

James Cameron is worse at making movies than Michael Bay.

ugh. The link isn’t working for me.

Yep, I’ll be following this one closely myself. As I posted over on my blog, this is going to make the 2008 election cycle look like an argument at a PTA meeting.

ugh. The link isn’t working for me.

Give it time. It was very slow to load for me.

How did they do the DNA tests, even if there was something to actually test?  What markers were they looking for- the walks on water genome?  Or relationship to {insert right wing loonie here}?

got it.

Well, you have to be skeptical. I’m sure nothing will come of this. That said, it’ll piss off the right people and that makes me happy.

Like Last Hussar, my immediate question was what the heck the DNA tests would show—interrelationships between the corpses (maybe) but not anything more than that.

“Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.” Unless there’s a lot more to identify these folks ("Jesua, y’know, the one the Romans executed at the behest of the local religious establishment"), I can’t imagine there’s much *there* there (cue Geraldo Rivera standing before Jesus’ vault ...).

I say this not out of any particular adherence to orthodoxy, but because the Time article sucks and doesn’t really tell us much of anything persuasive.

It sounds like a sequel to a Da Vinci Code sequel. And just as profitable. The filmmakers express aim is to cross the excitement of Indiana Jones-style tomb raiding with Dan Brown’s bold approach to modern theology, all in a 90 minute video.

Wow. What a build up.
This pessimist just knows we’re gonna be disappointed.

***Dave: Time article sucks and doesn’t really tell us much of anything persuasive.

Just a little taste ... as the bishop said to the actress. 

DNA could show inter-relationship between the corpses but in determining if he is Our Saviour I doubt that it will assist unless we have the actual cross still kicking around some where with his blood intact on it and then compare the results between the two quantifications.  Somehow that too is also doubtful.

I should get back up to speed with DNA protocol and techniques. Can’t remember what the final “thing” is called all of a sudden.  Its way too late.

I for one would also like to know which labs did the tests.  Not that I’m questioning their credibility (depends really on the lab in question), it would just be interesting to see which lab was contracted out.

I’m skeptical, but then again I would have to see the film first. Personally, I would need to see DNA evidence proving that each member within the tomb was related to one another in the order given by historical documents. Second, a proper forensic examination of the remains to determine the cause of death of each member and to provide supporting evidence for their lifestyle. An example would be the scrapes on the bones of Jesua consistent with the story of his crucifixion. Third, if all the above prove to be correct, statisital data on the likelyhood of those names being assigned to those individuals with one being crucified. That probability that ANOTHER family suffered the exact same fate in the same area at the sime time is very low.

I for one would also like to know which labs did the tests. 

Heh, the same ones that “disproved” global warming.

Anyway, everybody knows the last descendant of Jebus died on the Titanic.

This film sounds great. I hope it features Geraldo opening tombs.

An example would be the scrapes on the bones of Jesua consistent with the story of his crucifixion

A jew living in the middle-east, under the Roman occupation, crucified some time in the first 50 years of the 1st century- gosh what are the chances of that happening...

excitement of Indiana Jones-style tomb raiding with Dan Brown’s bold approach to modern theology

If it involves large boulder traps squishing any one who thinks the DVC is true, then I’m all in favour.  If Dan Brown is executed by Nazis in revenge of that first page that says the Priory of Sion et al are all true, then so much the better.

You do realize that FACTS are unimportant. The strongest human motivation is FANTASY. And, of course, in fantasy there is no end to the ways we can find to explain a grave with a body that appears to be Jesus, dinosaurs, etc, etc.   

There were dinosaurs in Jesus’ tomb?!?!- surely proof evilution is fake!

I think it’s too early to speculate on what evidence Cameron might actually have. I do find it amusing that fudies all over the net are racing to discredit the evidence before they even know what it is. Of course, no one has ever accused them of being open minded.

What could the evidence be? Well, it’s possible, that they have DNA evidence linking the corpses together in just the right pattern. (And wouldn’t it be great if they have DNA showing that Joseph fathered Jesus?) They may have evidence of the crucifiction as cause of death on the body labelled Jesus.

And they may have various archeological evidence that led them to this paticular tomb in the first place.

I think we’ll have to wait for the press conference tomorrow and the film, whenever it airs.

Hussar,
The chances of a man being crucified by the Romans during that period is not entirely uncommon. You’re correct, but the chances of that particular man being the right age, having family fitting the description given in the story, as well as being speared while dying are remote. If the remains have gone untouched for so long it might even be possible to determine what type of blade, if any, he was speared with. While I remain skeptical, it is entirely possible that they’ve found what they were looking for.

I think we’ll have to wait for the press conference tomorrow and the film, whenever it airs.

I think I’ll just get on with my life instead…

elwed: I think I’ll just get on with my life instead…

Suit yourself, elwed, but you could end up missing the greatest spectator sport in history.

Hmm. How could they find Jesus’ tomb if Jesus never existed?

Of course, even if it’s true, Discovery Channel has already given us Christians a way to keep on believing: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/tomb/theology/theology.html

Personally, I love this stuff. If it’s a good, scientific case, great. If it challenges my faith so that I have to reexamine my beliefs, even better. “Faith unchallenged is no faith at all.”

Anyway, you’re right, this could make Cameron into an American version of Salman Rushdie. Or maybe just another Dan Brown. Either way, it will get fundamentalists wound up for sure. And that’s always fun to watch.

chances of that particular man being the right age, having family fitting the description given in the story, as well as being speared while dying are remote.

I understood the family isn’t overly described. Man in his early thirties with a spear wound, while not the norm. wouldn’t be too uncommon amoung crucified people- could easily be a ‘resisting arrest’ wound.

The really interesting part is that even if it WERE true, Christians will refuse to believe it.  Trot out as much evidence as you like; they will refute every bit of it.

And why?  Because they don’t really believe it either.

If Jesus really showed up today, nobody would believe it.  They’d stone him as a heretic.  If God showed up and started talking to people, they’d commit all of them to mental institutions.  Any time someone claims to be God or have an actual conversation with God, the more concrete it is, the LESS people believe it.

Why is that, do you suppose?

Because deep down, they KNOW it’s not real.

Jesus is also claiming to be the daddy of Anna Nichole’s baby, so DNA testing will be interesting.

Hmm, sounds interesting, but I think it will stir up more shit than anything else.  Probably won’t help to create an open dialog.  Just piss people off.  But hopefully there is some interesting content in the film.