I just thought I’d add a quick update on the Tomb blasphemy.

In addition to the excellent arguments that I’ve already heard:

• The most that the mtDNA can do is establish that Miaramne and Jesus are not maternally related;

• The names found on the ossuaries in the tomb are all common names at the time; and

• The Acts of Phillip does not identify Mariamne as Mary Magdalene,

I will add my own which are:

• mtDNA cannot even tell whether the remains found in the box labelled Jesus are male or female remains (and same for those in the boxes labelled Mariamne and Judah)!

• The argument from the Acts of the Apostles that Mariamne is Mary Magdalene seems to be based on a double conflation:

First, here’s the passage that appears to be the basis:

Acts of Philip VIII:94-95 (An Apocryphal and Heretical Fabrication)

94It came to pass when the Saviour divided the apostles and each went forth
according to his lot, that it fell to Philip to go to the country of the Greeks:
and he thought it hard, and wept. And Mariamne his sister (it was she that made
ready the bread and salt at the breaking of bread, but Martha was she that
ministered to the multitudes and laboured much) seeing it, went to Jesus and
said: Lord, seest thou not how my brother is vexed? 95 And he said: I know, thou
chosen among women; but go with him and encourage him, for I know that he is a
wrathful and rash man, and if we let him go alone he will bring many
retributions on men. But lo, I will send Bartholomew and John to suffer
hardships in the same city, because of the much wickedness of them that dwell
there; for they worship the viper, the mother of snakes. And do thou change thy
woman’s aspect and go with Philip. And to Philip he said: Why art thou fearful?
for I am always with thee.

The first part of the double conflation is in misreading item 94 such that Mary is the sister not of Philip, but of Martha.

The second part of the conflation is confusing Lazarus’ sister Mary (who had a sister named Martha) with Mary Magdelene.

It is a bit incredible that someone is not afraid to blaspheme based on such lousy evidence. At least those who deny that God created the world make claims that are constantly rewritten to fit the available data. These claims appear to be simply wild speculation to sell books and DVDs.

Incidentally, one thing you will NOT see is a Roman Catholic rebuttal based on a comparison to the mtDNA found in the elements consecrated by the Eucharist, or in any supposed relics of our Lord. Why? With regard to the first, because the bread is physically just bread – it doesn’t have Jesus DNA, and the second, because that would open up the possibility of exposing the widespread fraud of the RCC on the people of God over the centuries in the promulgation of phoney relics.

May our Risen and Glorious Savior be praised!

-Turretinfan