Ossuary inscribed “Joseph bar Caiaphas”

Evidence state: documented fact

Decorated limestone ossuary from a southern Jerusalem family burial cave bearing the name Joseph bar Caiaphas. Association with the New Testament high priest Caiaphas is historically significant but must be distinguished from the physical inscription itself.

Release Introduced

v50

Curation State

CURATED_CATALOG_ENTITY

Short Title

Joseph bar Caiaphas ossuary

Evidence Classification

documented fact

Date Range

{
    "start_ce": 1,
    "end_ce": 50,
    "label": "early 1st century CE",
    "certainty": "broad burial/context range; identification is a separate claim"
}

Languages

[
    "Aramaic"
]

Tradition Contexts

[
    "JEWISH_CONTEXT"
]

Identifiers

[
    {
        "scheme": "Museum description",
        "value": "Joseph bar Caiaphas"
    }
]

Repository Note

Israel Museum, Jerusalem exhibition/collection context.

Source Ids

[
    "SRC_IMJ_CAIPHAS_OSSUARY"
]

Rights

{
    "image_state": "LINK_ONLY",
    "inscription_text_state": "METADATA_ONLY",
    "local_host_state": "METADATA_ONLY"
}

Evidence Boundary

The inscribed name and archaeological object are direct evidence. Identifying the deceased with the Caiaphas of New Testament narratives is a historical identification claim, not something the ossuary alone can prove with absolute certainty.