An Archaeological Discovery Sheds Light on Luke

On this video, I take a trip to the Hecht Museum to see the Joanna ossuary up close. So, what does the curator of the museum think about this artifact? Should it be connected to the Gospel of Luke?

This past month, I’ve been working on a video project related to my forthcoming book, Luke’s Key Witness. Now the video is finally ready! While I was in Israel this past fall, I had the opportunity to interview Amir Wielinski at the Hecht Museum, where the Joanna ossuary is currently on display. So what does he think about this curious artifact? Is he open to the possibility that the Joanna and Theophilus mentioned in the inscription could be the same individuals recorded by Luke (Lk 1:3, 8:3, 24:10)?

Steven Notley, the Director of the El-Araj Excavation Project, also makes an appearance in this video. Since Dr. Notley studied under David Flusser, who was one of the first scholars to publicize the discovery of the Joanna ossuary, I wondered if he was familiar with this artifact and its potential connection to the Gospel of Luke. I think you’ll be surprised by the responses I received from both of these scholars.

Please share this video with friends and family, and let me know what you think in the comments section! Also, when you get a chance, please subscribe to my YouTube channel, since this greatly increases our exposure.

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100K+ Views in Less Than a Week!

I released this video on Tuesday, February 10th, and it has already surpassed 100K views. Also, here are some of the viewer comments:

Congratulations on an excellent and truly exciting video! I am an Israeli archaeologist working with the IAA for over 35 years in Jerusalem. Your proposal that the Joanna and Theophilus of the ossuary are the same as those in Luke is more than reasonable. If indeed it turns out that they are, then here is yet another amazing witness to the intimate connection that Jesus had to His Land and with His People. — Yehudah

WOW, mind officially blown! Thank you for bringing this to our attention! — NSnowman

I had never heard this before, and I am a Bible archaeology nerd. Wow! — Mark

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Who is Theophilus? #79 with Peter. Bolt
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Jesus in Josephus & Other Ancient Texts, #78 with T.C. Schmidt

Related Articles
The Ossuary of Yehohanah, Granddaughter of Theophilus, Barag & Flusser
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A Pre-70 Date for the Gospels & Acts, Shane Rosenthal
The Date of John’s Gospel, Revisited, Shane Rosenthal
A Pre-70 Date for Revelation? Shane Rosenthal
New Evidence for a Historical Moses? Shane Rosenthal
Archaeological Discoveries Related to Nebuchadnezzar II, Shane Rosenthal
Simon of Cyrene: An Intriguing Archaeological Discovery, Shane Rosenthal
Who is Sergius Paulus? Shane Rosenthal
Is Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, Sir William Ramsay
Luke’s Key Witness? Shane Rosenthal

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