The High Priest Who Condemned Jesus

IN November 1990, men working on a park and a road less than a mile [about a kilometer] south of Jerusalem’s Old City made a fascinating discovery. A tractor accidentally collapsed the roof of an ancient burial cave. The surrounding area had served as a huge necropolis from the first century B.C.E. to the first century C.E. Intriguing indeed was what archaeologists found inside the chamber.

The cave contained 12 ossuaries, or bone boxes, into which the bones of the dead had been placed after they had lain in tombs for about a year and their flesh had decomposed. Scratched on the side of one splendidly carved ossuary​—one of the finest ever found—​was the name Yehosef bar Caiapha (Joseph son of Caiaphas).

Evidence suggests that this may be the tomb of the high priest who presided over the most important trial ever held​—that of Jesus Christ. Jewish historian Josephus identifies this high priest as “Joseph, who was called Caiaphas.” In the Scriptures, he is simply called Caiaphas.

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Joseph son of Caiaphas

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The recently discovered ossuary

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Ossuary, inscription, and cave in background: Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority