Isusov brat

Bought for a pittance among thousands of similar ones, the in no way unusual stone ossuary has been collecting dust in a private collection storage room for years. Even the inscription, at least for its Jewish owner, was not at all unusual.

JACOB'S SON JOSEPH'S BROTHER OF JESUS

Three quite ordinary Jewish names. Except that next to the father, the brother's name is practically never mentioned. Even if each of these names was nothing special by itself, their combination in such a sequence could represent the first material, archaeological evidence that Christ really lived.

"I never thought that the son of God could have a brother!" the surprised owner explained his oversight.

And not an ordinary brother at all. To actually have a man who will continue his work and be the true founder of the Christian church, only to later fall into oblivion, overshadowed by Peter and Paul.

Who was that man? How did he live, what did he do and how did he die? And yes, how could the son of God and a virgin have a brother?

The book is divided into two parts. In the first part, Hershell Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archeology Review, proves the authenticity of the chest with the remains, which bears the inscription "Jacob son of Joseph, brother of Jesus". In the second part, Ben Witherington, a professor at Ausbury Theological Seminary and a leading expert on the New Testament, gives the historical background of James as the brother of Jesus, as well as an overview of this relationship in the eyes of Christians throughout the centuries.