Owner of box linked to Jesus comes forward

The owner of an ancient ossuary that some claim might be the oldest archaeological link to Jesus Christ came forward for the first time yesterday.

The identity of Oded Golan, a 51-year-old Israeli engineer from Tel Aviv, was kept secret until Israeli newspapers revealed it earlier this week.

Yesterday Mr Golan, who owns the old box that one theologian has claimed is the most important archaeological discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, said he bought it for $200 (£127). His father said they used to keep it on the balcony of the family flat in Tel Aviv.

The limestone casket, used to store the bones of the dead, carries an inscription that reads "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus".

Christ is believed to have had a brother, or half-brother, called James, and some archaeologists think Joseph could be the husband of the Virgin Mary. They think the box may once have contained the remains of Christ's brother. But others argue that Jesus, James and Joseph were all common names in the first century AD and that the ossuary may have no connection to Jesus of Nazareth.

Some say the ossuary's mysterious origins make it possible that the casket and inscription were altered, and that it may not be genuine.

There were reports it was found in a cave in Jerusalem but Mr Golan said yesterday he bought it from a Jerusalem antiques dealer in the 1970s. The Israel Antiquities Authority is reportedly investigating claims that the box was stolen.

Mr Golan said yesterday he did not remember the exact date when he bought the ossuary but that it was definitely in his possession by 1976 – two years before Israel passed a law controlling the trade in antiquities. He said he was a very private man. "It's a character issue," he said of his reluctance to come forward. "I don't like publicity."

Because he knows little about Christianity, Mr Golan said he never suspected the ossuary could be linked to Jesus Christ.