Biblical Archaeology: Caiaphas Ossuary

Caiaphas the high priest mentioned in Mark 14:53-65. In verses 61-64 we read about this famous exchange between Jesus and the High Priest Caiaphas:

⁶¹But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” ⁶²And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” ⁶³And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? ⁶⁴You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Was Caiaphas a real person? Apparently so. Here is a quick video from Frank Turek of Crossexamined.com about this remarkable archaeological discovery of the bone box (i.e., ossuary or coffin) of Caiaphas:

Here is another video from Drive Through History about Caiaphas and the discovery of the ossuary:

The historical Caiaphas can be crosschecked in history by the Jewish historian Jospehus, as mentioned in the video above.

Here is a bulleted point reference to the history, discovery, and significance of Caiaphas and the ossuary:

Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest of the Sanhedrin.
The primary sources of Caiaphas are the New Testament (Matt 26:3, 57; Luke 3:2; John 11:49; 18:13, 14, 24, 28; Acts 4:6) and Josephus.
Caiaphas ossuary discovered in south Jerusalem in November of 1990.
An inscription on the side of the ossuary contains the phrase “Joseph, son of Caiaphas.
Inside that ossuary where the bones of a man.
Most ossuaries are plain and contain no inscriptions; the Caiaphas ossuary is ornately decorated as would be the case for a high priest such as Caiaphas.

For further information on the Caiaphas ossuary see:

“Ossuary of the High Priest Caiaphas” | Center for Online Jewish Studies

“House of Caiaphas Ossuary is Authentic” by Gil Ronen | Israel National News 6/29/2011

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Post about other biblical archaeological discoveries from this blog include:

The Prophet Isaiah

23 New Testament Figures Confirmed

History Has Gone to the Toilets-The Ancient Latrine of Lachish

Virtual Unwrapping of Levitical Scroll

City of Geza

Philistine Cemetery

Ancient Shopping List Provides Evidence of When Bible Was Written