i am simon, i am new here,

[simon syrene]

just say hello to everybody.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Simon,

Welcome to Christians Unite. I sincerely hope you enjoy the Christian Fellowship here. I moved this message to here so that more people will see it and say hello.

In Christ,
Tom

[Allinall]

Hiya!  

[Willowbirch]

Hello, Simon! Glad to have you here!  

[Symphony]

Wow.  Just trying to figure out bep's post here under General Discussion .

But anyway, I was just reviewing an earlier copy of B.A.R. magazine last night, on a related article(did you know they have an inscription, from Jordon, referring to Balaam, son of Beor, as mentioned at lenght in Numbers 22-24, recounting the supposed curse he was suppose to pronounce on Israel, which instead came out as a blessing...  They have an inscription recounting that passage...)...

and in that particular issue(July/August, '03), an article, with color photos, that they've found a bone box, inscribed with "Simon of Cyrene".  They think it's his.  That he migrated later to North Africa, where this box was found!!

Weird.  Now, here, I get referred to Simon of Syrene's post.


Doodoodoodoodoodooodoodoo(you have now entered, THe Twilight Zone...)

   

[Willowbirch]

That is fascinating, Symphony! Do they know what animal bone the box was made of?

[simon syrene]

thanks for all the warm-hearted welcom.
God bless you all

[Symphony]

Yes, welcome Simon.

Willowburch, are you joking??  No, actually, when they say "bone box", they mean a specially fashioned box to hold the bones of the deceased.  About the size of a medium suitcase.

They've become public recently mainly b/c of the announcement one year ago re: a similar box with the inscription of James, son of Joseph, broth of Jesus--the James who was martyred.  

This box would be similar.

It's a known, authenticated custom that just for about a severnty year period, from the time of Herod the Great, to the Roman destruction in Jerusalem, in 70 A.D., Jews would lay their dead out in tombs, come back a year later, put the bones in a limestone box, making room in the tomb for other deceased later on.  Real estate in 1st century Jerusalem was at a premium.

There are known hundreds of the limestone boxes on the antiquities market.  They aren't worth much, becuase most are unidentified.  Supposedly, the owner of the Joseph ossuary paid just $700 for his.  Of course, now that they've discovered that inscription on it, assuming it is authenticated, who knows what it's value.  It's all quite controversial.  (It would mean a lot to their tourist trade alone, so accusations are flying fast and furious.)

Several boxes also were discovered in 1990, with Caiphus's name and family name on them.  A bulldozing for apartments, and there they were--an undiscovered tomb.  These have been authenticated, and are assumed to be of the high priest at Jesus' trial.  B/c their "provenance", or origin, is easily proven and documented, they are considered authentic.


This one of Simon of Cyrene quite interesting.  I will have to go back and read the article again, though.

[Willowbirch]

Willowburch, are you joking??  No, actually, when they say "bone box", they mean a specially fashioned box to hold the bones of the deceased.  About the size of a medium suitcase.

I am sooooo stupid.  

[Symphony]

No problem.  When I first heard it, I thought the same thing.