BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Shimron Responds to Jacobovici

“Jesus Tomb” Controversy Erupts—Again

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Aryeh Shimron, formerly of the Geological Survey of Israel

Simcha Jacobovici misquotes at least a portion of my statement at the Jerusalem conference. What I said, after I heard that the tomb ossuaries were found buried in terra rosa soil (definitely not silt), was that “if that is indeed the case, then it is very likely that the tomb ossuaries will have acquired a distinct chemical signature reflecting some chemical characteristics of the terra rosa soil they were buried in.” If this was not precisely my wording, then the latter reflects more accurately what I had intended to say. In addition, it is not necessarily only the patina which will reflect this acquired chemical signature but possibly the ossuary construction stone itself.