Shanks' and Witherington's book on the James ossuary is an excellent introduction to what is arguably the most profound archeological find of the century. This book will be of great benefit for seasoned scholars and others who simply want to know more about the Christian faith.

The authors provide a very readable description of the ossuary and the dramatic story of the events since it has come to light. They also provide a very balanced account of the controversies behind its authentication. This is one of the most important aspects of this book. As we would expect, the authenticity of the ossuary is currently being questioned. However, anyone who reads this book will be able to defend against such arguments. Shanks and Witherington have done an outstanding job of reviewing overwhelming evidence from the world's foremost experts to support the authenticity of the ossuary. As such, the implications about this find later presented in the book (and there are many) should be taken very seriously.

This book is actually the story of the James ossuary as well as a description of who James was. Shanks writes first about the James ossuary. In the first 80 pages he, tells the story of the find and dispels many of the concerns about the ossuary's authenticity. There was no sign of a modern tool used to make the inscription. The inscription (including the second half) is covered with patina which adheres to the ossuary yet there is no sign of a modern adhesive. Altman's reason for thinking that there were two handwritings may be explained by the softness of the limestone upon which are written the words "brother of Jesus." Ben Witherington then writes a very interesting account of James, the younger brother of Jesus, his asceticism, and his rise to prominence in the early church.

What's the verdict? Being an attorney Shanks says it this way: the evidence can not prove the authenticity beyond a shadow of a doubt, but there is a preponderance of evidence that would win a civil case.

This book is so great! And it is all the more useful now that the IAA has made their unofficial statement about the ossuary inscription. The book details the amazing discovery and its authentication process:

--How it was deemed authentic by an independent and most reputable paleographer.

--The GSI ran their routinely thorough tests on the ossuary and inscription and issued the following statement: "No sign of the use of a modern tool or instrument was found. No evidence that might detract from the authenticity of the patina and the inscription was found." (P. 18)

--The worlds leading paleographers authenticated the inscription as anything but a modern forgery. They were unanimous in this.

--The Toronto museum then ran a mass-spectrometry test, which shows "absolutely no evidence of modern tampering with the box or the inscription."

--Unqualified "experts" then attempted to show the inscription to be a fake by claiming outlandish things like that "it was excised." This is now proven to be false, along with all of the other outlandish claims that were made.

--Finally, today, we have an unofficial statement by the IAA, saying that the inscription is a modern forgery.

All except for the last item are detailed in the book. Read it and learn more so that you can judge for yourself where the evidence leads!

It is sad, however, that people are so quick to jump on the statement given by the IAA, as it is unofficial, accompanied by no data report. People should not treat such statements as gospel truth. I suppose that they are either scared of being wrong or scared of being right. It would be best if they waited until there was enough evidence to back their claim. The authors did, and still have a substantial argument in favor of the authenticity of the inscription.

Ben Witherington sets out on a rather ambitious journey. To chart the Apostle Paul's thought world from a big picture viewpoint. He begins by rejecting the approach used by systematic commentaries on St. Paul's theology, with all their limitations (i.e., dividing Paul's thought into Soteriological or Eschatological or by the evolution of his theological world view).

So Witherington instead plots Paul's theology in a narrative fashion. Of course, systematic referances concerning theology are so engrained into our western thinking that they are impossible to avoid entirely, but he does a wonderful job of taking the reader through Paul's theology as if it were a narrative -- which in fact, it really is. From the Fall, to Israel and the Law, to Christ and the New Covenant, it is story rich with dramatic tension, wonderful characters, and a heck of a plot.

Two complaints, though. One, Witherington does not write for the layman in mind. This book delves too far into certain topics which could have been condensed in order to alleviate the theological "jargon" so often emlpoyed by scholars.

Two, Witherington seems to compromise on his own personal beliefs about Pauline authorship in order to gain acceptance for his work in the scholarly community. Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles and Ephesians or Colossians is a hot topic within some circles, but has cooled off in others. That latter circle would have frowned on Witherington including the disputed epistles, so Witherington simply does not. In my opinion, if he feels there is some merit to their inclusion, he should state his case, include them, then move on.

All in all, this book is a helpful guide towards seeing Pauline thought as a grand narrative story, and not some odd collection of theological maxims. Just don't be afraid to skim if your mind begins to wander or your eyelids start to droop.