After insisting that his identity not be released to the public, the owner of the ancient limestone box believed to have once held the bones of James, the brother of Jesus, has reluctantly emerged to tell his story.
Oded Golan has been criticized for packing the artifact only in bubble wrap and cardboard for its shipment from Tel Aviv to Canada, where it is to be displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum. During shipping, the box suffered serious cracks on three sides, officials reported. A deep, diagonal crack through the inscription now cleaves the word Jesus in two, according to Toronto’s National Post.
Golan says he personally supervised the packing of the box “by one of the most reputable shippers of highly valued artifacts in Israel” as it was wrapped “in at least 10 layers of bubble wrap,” he told Toronto’s Globe and Mail. “There was some sort of negligence here. I want to know what happened. I believe there is a way to fix it,” Golan said.
Golan, a 51-year-old engineer and entrepreneur, lives in a modest block of apartments in north Tel Aviv and works in an old building in south Tel Aviv, according to Ha’aretz, a Jewish newspaper in Israel. He displays a stunning private collection of holy land antiquities in cupboards with glass doors in the guest room, the newspaper reported.
Spent years in storage
The now-famous box, however, was not included in the displays. The box was in storage for years because the owner did not recognize its significance.
Nothing in the inscription, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,” rang a bell, he said.
“For us Israelis, we have never studied the New Testament,” Golan said in The Globe and Mail. “They were Jewish names in my mind. The only thing I knew about Jesus’ family was that Maria [Mary], His mother, was a virgin, and so even in my wildest imagination I never thought He had a brother.”
According to Ha’aretz, Golan showed an interest in archeology from an early age. As young as 8, he would dig through archaeological sites near his home to find artifacts, including one that is regarded as one of the oldest dictionaries in the world. Golan claims he purchased the box that has caused a stir in the Christian world when he was just 16. Because he purchased the artifact 35 years ago, Golan says he cannot remember the specifics of the transaction, particularly from whom he bought it.
Golan has insured the mysterious bone box for $1 million and has given permission for specialists at the Royal Ontario Museum to repair the box with special adhesives once the insurance company consents. The box is on display at the museum’s Mediterranean World Feature Exhibition Gallery until Dec. 29. Upon its return to Israel, Golan said he will not keep the box at his house for fear that people will “turn [his home] into a church.” (BP)
Share with others: