Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Ancestor of Barabbas Found!

Originally posted April 2016

By:  Marshall Ramsey II, Worthy News US Correspondent


JERUSALEM, Israel (WorthyNews) -- An forgotten find made in the field of archaeology may have bigger implications, especially regarding the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1970, in the newly forming neighborhood of Givat HaMivtar, located in East Jerusalem, construction was taking place on a new house.  While digging for the foundation, an ancient tomb was discovered.  Inside, an ossuary (a burial chest used to collect the bones of dead relatives) made of limestone was found that belonged to Abba, son of a certain Eleazar the priest.

An inscription was found on the tomb wall above the ossuary and written in Aramaic (a father language to both Hebrew and Arabic script) which, when translated, reads:

        "I am Abba, son of Eleazar the priest.  I am Abba, the oppressed, the persecuted, born in Jerusalem and exiled to Babylon, who brought back Mattathiah son of Judah and buried him in the cave that I purchased."

 Pictures of Givat HaMivtar and the ossuary itself can be seen below:


Ossuary recovered in the Abba cave, Israel Museum (Ariel David)
Ossuary of Mattathiah


Givat HaMivtar as seen from the north

Most students of the Scriptures will not recognize Abba son of Eleazar.  However, anyone familiar with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ will recognize this name:  Barabbas.  Barabbas was the prisoner being held by Pilate that the chief priests and elders desired to be released to them instead of the LORD.

          "And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.  Now at that
          feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.  And
          they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.  Therefore when they were gathered
          together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you?  Barabbas, or Jesus
          which is called Christ?  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they
          should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."  Matthew 27:12, 15-17, 20


Barabbas literally means, "descendant of Abba."  This is the tomb of one of Barabbas' ancestors.

Now concerning Mattathiah son of Judah, this appears to be referring to the 3x-great grandson of Zerubbabel, the governor of Jerusalem after the end of the Babylonian exile.  He seems to have been born about 260 B.C., the same time that Eleazar, the father of Abba, started his high priestly duties.

Given the text of the inscription on Abba's tomb, it appears that Abba and Mattathiah were close friends.  This would explain why Abba thought it good to bring Mattathiah's bones back to Jerusalem.


Source article:  http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/spring-2016/article/a-crucified-king-of-the-jews-found-in-a-jerusalem-tomb1

References:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Givat_HaMivtar, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_languagehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleazar_%28High_Priest%29, http://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-bible-text/Lu-3.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/misc/haaretzcomsmartphoneapp/.premium-1.587977

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