An
ancient set of lead tablets showing the earliest portrait of Jesus
Christ have proved to be around 2,000 years old, according to experts.
The
metal 'pages', held together like a ring binder, were found in Jordan
in around 2008 by an Jordanian Bedouin and make reference to Christ and
his disciples.
The
lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated and experts
say the tablets date from within a few years of Jesus' ministry.
An ancient set of lead tablets showing
the earliest portrait of Jesus Christ have proved to be around 2,000
years old, according to experts
And what they reveal could be enlightening not only for Christians, but also Jews and Muslims.
The
tablets suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but
restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David.
And the God he worshipped was both male and female.
Central
to the books is the idea that Christ promoted worship in Solomon's
Temple where the very face of God was believed to be seen - and this is
where the episode with the moneylenders in the Bible came from.
One of the books bears resemblance to how the Book of Revelations is described as it has seven seals.
The books are known as codices - types of bound manuscripts distinct from scrolls - and among them is an image of Jesus himself.
Authors
David and Jennifer Elkington have been campaigning since 2009 for the
codices to be recognised and protected but say evangelical Christians
are trying to brand them fakes.
The lead has been analysed and the
words and symbols translated and experts say the tablets date from
within a few years of Jesus' ministry.
The metal 'pages', held together like a
ring binder, were found in Jordan in around 2008 by an Israeli Bedouin
and make reference to Christ and his disciples.
They
were apparently discovered by Hassan Saeda, an Israeli Bedouin, who
according to some reports was given them by his grandfather, and by
others that he discovered them in a flood.
The
artefacts were found in a remote part of Jordan to which Christian
refugees are known to have fled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.
David Elkington, 54, of Gloucestershire, says he is now trying to prevent the codices from being sold on the black market.
In 2011 Elkington announced their discovery on BBC News and the world's press followed it up.
But a number of scholars came forward to brand them fakes, most without ever seeing the codices.
Now
tests conducted by Professor Roger Webb and Professor Chris Jeynes at
the University of Surrey's Nodus Laboratory at the Ion Beam Centre,
confirm that the tablet is compatible with a comparative sample of
ancient Roman lead unearthed from an excavation site in Dorset.
The
experts said that the codex they tested 'does not show the
radioactivity arising from polonium that is typically seen in modern
lead samples, indicating that the lead of the codex was smelted over one
hundred years ago'.
They went onto explain how the testing suggests that the artefacts are indeed 2,000 years old.
'While
there may be variations in decay and corrosion that depend upon the
environmental conditions in which the objects were stored or hidden,
there is a strong underlying theme of decay from within the metal,' said
the researchers in a press statement.
'It is oxidising and breaking down at atomic level to revert to its natural state.
'This
is not witnessed in lead objects that are several centuries old and is
not possible to produce by artificial acceleration (e.g. through
heating).
'This
provides very strong evidence that the objects are of great age,
consistent with the studies of the text and designs that suggest an age
of around 2000 years'.
The codex was leant to the Elkingtons by the Department of Antiquities in Amman for testing.
The tablets suggest that Christ was
not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand-year-old
tradition from the time of King David.
The books are known as codices - types of bound manuscripts distinct from scrolls - and among them is an image of Jesus himself.
Further crystallisation analysis indicates that the codex is likely to be between 1800-2000 years old.
Although
Christ is referred to outside of the Gospels, for example by the Roman
writer Tacitus, these would be the earliest and only Hebrew-Christian
documents in existence - and linguistic and metallurgical analysis now
suggests they are.
The tablets, bound together like ring
binders suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but
restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David.
Authors David and Jennifer Elkington
have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices (pictured) to be
recognised and protected but say evangelical Christians are trying to
brand them fakes.
Analysis of the script by scholars has confirmed that the language of the codices is Paleo-Hebrew.
The codices are covered in eight-pointed stars, symbolic of the coming of the messiah, and they mention the name of Jesus.
They also contain the names of apostles James, Peter and John.
According
to the Elkingtons the books suggest Christ was part of a Hebrew sect
dating back 1,000 years to King David, who worshipped in the Temple of
Solomon and believed in a male-female God.
In
the Bible Jesus is referred to as a 'tekton' which is usually
translated as 'carpenter' but actually means a skilled craftsman and
could refer to the skill of producing such works in metal.
The ancient book was first found in 2008 in Jordan (pictured) by an Israeli Bedouin. The find was officially announced in 2011.
The ancient book was found in 2008 in a cave in northern Jordan by an Israeli Bedouin.
In traditional Christian icons he is often shown carrying a sealed book - a codex.
Mr Elkington said: 'Jesus was seeking to restore the Temple.
'To put back that which had been lost in the reforms that came before his time.
'Dr
Hugh Schonfield, one of the most eminent authorities ever to work on
the Dead Sea Scrolls, predicted that a metal book would be found: as he
recognized that one had been described in a scroll called The Damascus
Document - a description that fits precisely one of the codices.
'His conclusion was that Christianity was based within the Hebrew Temple.
'Dr
Schonfield, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, also described
himself as a Jewish-Christian, a view that he held because of his work
on the scrolls.
The ancient book was found in 2008 in a cave in northern Jordan by an Israeli Bedouin. The discovery was first announced in 2011.
'A
part of the older tradition of the Temple was the Divine Feminine -
known to Christians as the Holy Spirit. Jesus had women involved in his
ministry.
'At the height of his ministry, the gospels tell us that Jesus challenged the moneychangers in the temple.
'The codices appear to reveal what happened afterwards - a chapter missing from the gospels.
'It
would appear that Christianity was founded upon what Jesus did in the
temple: a place where many Jews believed God actually resided. Jesus
went into the Temple to renew a covenant with God.'
If the codices are genuine, as the metal and writing suggests they are, they provide new insight into the life of Christ.
If the
codices are genuine, as the metal and writing suggests they are, they
provide new insight into the life of Christ. Authors David and Jennifer
Elkington (pictured right) have been campaigning since 2009 for the
codices to be recognised and protected.
While
the codices do not contradict any of the established narrative they
place greater emphasis on the physical temple, of the belief in the
divine feminine and in Christ's role in protecting a lineage of Hebrews
rather than being the founder of his own movement.
Previously, many experts have been wary of confirming the authenticity of the codices.
In
2011, two samples were sent to a laboratory in England where they were
examined by Peter Northover, head of the materials science-based
archaeology group.
The verdict was inconclusive without more tests, but he said the composition was 'consistent with a range of ancient lead.'
However,
Philip Davies, emeritus professor of biblical studies at Sheffield
University was convinced the codices were genuine after studying one.
He has told colleagues privately that he believed the find is unlikely to have been forged, reported the Sunday Times.
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