by Valerie Rojas
Staff Writer
Jonathan Reed, professor of religion at the University of La Verne, knew something was not right the first time he heard news about a bone box rumored to hold the bones of biblical figure James, brother of Jesus.
Reed’s expertise was put to good use when he was asked to take part in a History Channel program titled “Secrets of the Ancient World: James: Brother of Jesus?,” which aired last month.
The program featured the bone box of James which, if proved to be authentic, would be the earliest physical link to the time of Jesus.
Reed said the fact that the bone box was part of Oded Golan’s personal collection, instead of from an excavation, seemed to be a little suspicious.
“My position on it is, if you find an artifact in an excavation, it has integrity,” Reed said. “If it is found on the black market or in a private collection, you can never be sure. That is what tipped me off at first.”
He was one of the first to question the bone box’s authenticity. Reed said he was not alone in his suspicions. Throughout the two-hour interview for the History Channel, Reed stressed his suspicions of the box being forged, but because the show was aimed at a more positive angle, his suspicions went without notice.
“They did a few sound bites that I had said without taking into account the forgery,” Reed said.
Once he received news of Golan’s arrest, he could not help but feel a little smug.
“You feel a little vindicated, to know he’s in the slammer,” Reed said.
A month after Reed’s appearance on the History Channel, Golan is awaiting trial, on accusations of forgery. This case is still under investigation, and there is not a set date for trial.
Reed, whose book “Excavating Jesus,” which has been translated into German, Spanish and Korean, is very familiar with researching artifacts.
“He knows his stuff,” said Stacy Marquez, a former student of Reed’s.
“What I do in my book research is not trying to find one item or artifact that will prove or disprove the life of Jesus, but use archaeology to reconstruct the entire society, the entire culture, so that you can take the first Christians and understand them in that context,” Reed said.
Reed is currently working on a new book about the life of Paul, a biblical figure, which will lead him to research in Rome and Greece. He is also trying to get approval for an excavation in Turkey. But because of recent worldly events, the odds of that happening are slim, Reed said.
When Reed is not busy on archaeological excavations or teaching at ULV, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, a 13-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son.
Reed also prides himself with his talents in gourmet cooking. His specialty?
“Anything Italian,” Reed said.
He also said he enjoys cooking while listening to the classics of Tom Petty followed by some Italian opera.
Another program featuring Reed’s insight, “In the Footsteps of Jesus,” aired on the History Channel April 15-18.
