First Person: “The Tomb of Jesus”—My Take

For a few months now, people have been asking me (and, more importunately, the BAR staff), “What does Hershel think?” referring to the notorious claim in a TV special that the Tomb of Jesus has been identified in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem.

I really had nothing to say. Fortunately, I would tell questioners, I was sunning myself in the Caribbean when the news broke and was unavailable for comment. If I had to tell my interlocutors more, I would say that I just don’t have a dog in this fight, so I have no views.

With the passage of time, however, I have developed some ideas that I can belatedly share with BAR readers.

Do I think the Talpiot tomb is the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth?

There are two ways I can truthfully answer this question. First, I can say, “Plainly, no.” And all the academics who have been slinging insults at the program will applaud—or at least nod in agreement. I can also answer the question truthfully in another way: “There is a possibility that it is the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, but in my opinion it’s a very slim possibility.” Now the few academics who have defended Simcha Jacobovici’s TV special will applaud and say that that is all they have been saying: It’s a possibility. That’s even what Simcha himself says. (Full disclosure: He’s a friend of mine.)