Sensational Bible Film-maker Sues to Silence Israeli Critic

By Nigel Tomes, January 30th, 2013

Canadian documentary film-maker and (self-proclaimed) “investigative archaeologist” of biblical artifacts, Simcha Jacobovici is suing an Israeli critic. Jacobovici, (“adjunct Prof. at Huntington University in Greater Sudbury, Northern Ontario”) filed a lawsuit against an Israeli critic named Joe Zias formerly of the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA), claiming $1 Million damages for libel. He alleges Zias’ criticisms are libellous and have cost him TV contracts and money.

Joe Zias

UK archaeologist Paul Barford reported the lawsuit last month saying “film-maker Simcha Jacobovici…known for his TV series ‘The Naked Archaeologist’, in which he did not take his clothes off, and his archaeological credentials were never established…is now suing anthropologist Joe Zias, formerly of the IAA, who…has been criticizing…[Jacobovici’s] most outrageous claims…The sum involved is reportedly a million dollars…” [Paul Barford, “Portable Antiquity” Blog, 16 Dec. 2012]

Sensationalist, not Archaeologist

Simcha Jacobovici

Simcha Jacobovici, the Canadian film-maker, it turns out, is more of a sensationalist than archaeologist! His claims amount to modern miracles—artifacts that other, serious archaeologists dismissed as insignificant tombs and non-descript “bone boxes” (ossuaries), he unveiled to be of earth-shattering importance! When re-examined by Simcha Jacobovici and his colleagues, these were found to be the tombs of “Jesus’ Family,” Mary Magdalene, and Joseph of Arimathea! Moreover, the “bone boxes” were found to belong to Jesus’ father (Joseph), brother (James), Jesus himself, his (supposed wife) Mary Magdalene and (their alleged son) Yehudah! Moreover, they claim to have recovered DNA from bone fragments (allegedly) belonging to Jesus himself, and (his supposed wife), Mary Magdalene! Anyone of these would be the “discovery of the century”!

“Jesus’ True Story” for Larry King & Oprah Winfrey

Jacobovici has built a career making sensational claims about biblical artifacts tenuously linked to Jesus, his family and disciples, purporting to reveal the “true history” of early Christianity. He has not done this in the realm of academic research where claims are validated by scientific proof and stringent peer review. Instead Jacobovici operates in the “gray zone” of the “docu-drama,” deftly merging documentary with drama, where the “1o-second sound bite” and “15-second video clip,” are spliced with one-sentence quotes by “experts” to produce the “real story” of Jesus, his family, his (supposed) wife (Mary Magdalene), and (supposed) son (allegedly) named Yehudah! Within this realm it seems the smallest artifact—a few bone fragments, tomb graffiti—can be elevated to history-shattering prominence. Unrestricted by the sober judgment of seasoned researchers, Jacobovici’s outrageous claims, based on flimsy evidence, find an eager audience on TV shows television shows like Anderson Cooper 360, Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show and NBC Today.

Nina Burleigh

“Feud between Biblical Archaeologists…”

The legal feud between Jacobovici  and Zias received more exposure recently when Time magazine published a piece entitled, “Feud between Biblical Archaeologists Goes to Court” by Nina Burleigh, [Time, Jan. 29, 2013] Burleigh is familiar with fabricated “biblical artifacts;” she’s the author of Unholy Business, which investigates the world of forgers who create fake artifacts to "prove" Biblical stories and reap monetary rewards. She outlines Simcha Jacobovici’s litany of sensational claims contained in books and movies (aired on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel & National Geographic TV, etc) which garnered great media attention.

Jesus Discovery Movie on the James Ossuary

Burleigh writes, “Jacobovici has produced several films in the past decade about new finds that supposedly illuminate the true history of early Christianity. Jacobovici’s first foray into the biblical-documentary genre was a 2002 film The Jesus Discovery that introduced the world to the James ossuary, a bone box with an [allegedly] ancient Aramaic inscription translated as ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus’.” In her book, Unholy Business, Nina Burleigh recounts how the James Ossuary, which sparked an international scandal — was later proven to be completely fabricated.

A Top 10 Scientific Hoax

“Even as Jacobovici’s film characterized the [James] ossuary as an authentic archaeological discovery, scholars and the Israeli authorities claimed the inscription as a fake. Discovery Channel aired the film but, in 2008, it put the James ossuary on its list of the top 10 scientific hoaxes of all time…”

Jesus’ Family Tomb

“Jacobovici then made a film about the so-called Talpiot Tomb — named after the Jerusalem neighborhood where it was excavated — contending that 10 ossuaries found inside it had held the bones of Christ and his immediate family, including Mary Magdalene. That project had backing from Hollywood’s James Cameron, the director of Titanic and Avatar.” Neither of the movies, Titanic or Avatar, however, qualified James Cameron as an expert on Biblical Archaeology!

“Not the Tomb of Jesus… or his Family”

Dr. Chris Rollston

Dr. Chris. Rollston is Visiting Prof. at George Washington University, and author of “Forging History: A History of Epigraphic Forgeries from Antiquity to the Modern Period.” He responds to these claims, saying, “film-maker Simcha Jacobovici, along with [colleagues] attempted to argue that this was the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. But the epigraphic [inscription] evidence…from this tomb does not support their contention, neither does the DNA evidence, nor does the statistical evidence. Indeed, a cross-section of scholars…wrote articles…in the academic journal Near Eastern Archaeology…arguing that the cumulative evidence certainly did not support the view that this Talpiot tomb was the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth or his family.” Prof. Rollston says, “It is important to remember this dictum: Dramatic claims require dramatic evidence. And ultimately the strong consensus of scholars working in the fields of ancient epigraphy, archaeology, and ancient religion was then, and is now, that Talpiot Tomb [the (so-called) “Jesus Family Tomb”] is not that of the family of Jesus of Nazareth.” [Christopher Rollston, “Review of The Jesus Discovery, by Tabor & Jacobovici,” 12 April, 2012, Rollstonepigraphy.com]

Nails of the Cross of Christ!

“Jacobovici then produced Nails of the Cross, a show that claimed that iron spikes excavated by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) from a tomb in Jerusalem in 1990 were the very nails used to pin the Saviour to the cross. Nails of the Cross aired on Israeli TV and the History Channel.” How anyone could identify the exact nails that held Jesus to his cross is a mystery that boggles the mind! How anyone could accept such an outrageous claim is an even greater mystery!

Joe Zias, Israeli Antiquities Authority

Numerous critics have panned these sensational claims as fiction masquerading as fact. But, Burleigh reports, “In all this Joe Zias, 71, has emerged as Jacobovici’s nemesis. Retired from his job as a professional anthropologist, he…knows the murky world of biblical-relic trading as well as anyone, having spent 25 years working for the IAA, the tiny Israeli agency charged with overseeing excavations in 30,000 archaeological sites.”

The “Jonah Ossuary”

“The contentiousness between Zias and Jacobovici came to a head in 2011. That year, National Geographic pulled out of a Jacobovici project on another early Christian relic that Zias and others were criticizing”--the (so-called) “Jonah Ossuary,” which allegedly depicted Jonah in the mouth of a Big fish—an early Christian sign of resurrection. Others see it as a depiction of a common Mid-Eastern vase. Burleigh describes the claims and criticism: “The [Jonah Ossuary] film, which eventually aired on the Discovery Channel in 2012, as well as Jacobovici’s book version of The Jesus Discovery, contends that the [Jonah] ossuary…is the earliest known example of an object bearing a Christian symbol referring to the resurrection.

Scholars were highly skeptical of these sensational claims. The chairman of Duke University’s Center for Jewish Studies, Eric M. Meyers, said..."I was on the advisory panel of experts assessing the integrity of the claims, the appropriateness of the report and the controversial claims about the tomb in which the Jonah ossuary was found, and the panel unanimously agreed not to recommend that the project and film go forward."

Denies Jesus’ Resurrection

Duke University’s Prof. Meyers, who is Jewish, told Burleigh “he was troubled by the implication in much of Jacobovici’s work that there was no resurrection. According to [Prof.] Meyers, Jacobovici…claimed to have some of the bones of Jesus and his family, their DNA from ossuaries. ‘If the remains were reburied, then there could not have been any true resurrection,’ Eric M. Meyer adds. ‘You do not make scientific announcements of this potential significance in sensational films or in a trade book that has unsubstantiated and controversial claims in it’.”

So Why Sue Joe Zias?

Dr. Jim West

Dr. Jim West, Adjunct Prof. of Biblical Studies for the Quartz Hill School of Theology asks 'Why is Simcha Jacobovici Suing Joe Zias?' (Zwinglius Redivivus Blog, Dec. 8, 2012).  He writes, “Jacobovici claims that Zias’ critiques have…caused him massive financial damage.”  But West states “the big question is if Jacobovici had a contract with Discovery and/or National Geographic on the basis of which he made an investment in a [film] project, and they broke it, why is he not pursuing them in court?” West concludes that “Jacobovici… looks to be on a vendetta.” Dr. Jim West, who blogs on biblical archaeology, said of the lawsuit: “Disagreements are fine, but vendettas (which is what this seems to [be]) are improper. Perhaps Zias and Jacobovici should settle their differences the old-fashioned way — in a public debate. Scholars disagree all the time, and they can get quite nasty at it. But I have never once heard of a scholar suing another scholar because their work was eviscerated,” West writes. UK archaeologist, Paul Barford’s title sums up the situation when he says, Jacobovici, the “Naked Archaeologist tries to Silence Critic in Israeli Court;” a sad situation.

Nina Burleigh’s report: Read more: http://world.time.com/2013/01/29/a-feud-between-biblical-archaeologists-goes-to-court/#ixzz2JMuZWqNX

Christopher A. Rollston’s extended piece, “Review of The Jesus Discovery, by Tabor & Jacobovici,” 12 April, 2012, at Rollstonepigraphy.com