Jesus tomb documentary: 'pretty standard Discovery fare and far from, er, titanic,' says Variety

Although this provocative special features a few voices of skepticism, Discovery doesn't bother to qualify the title with, say, a question mark at the end, and why should it? Anything pertaining to Jesus -- in this case, the assertion that his family tomb was found in 1980 on the site of what now houses a Jerusalem apartment complex -- is going to stir up a response, and one suspects that's precisely what the channel wanted. As for the merits of the show itself (which bears director James Cameron's imprimatur), it's actually pretty standard Discovery fare and far from, er, titanic.

Readers of"The Da Vinci Code" will doubtless enjoy the implications contained in this special...Meticulously building the case, writer-producer-director Simcha Jacobovici enlists archaeologists, statisticians, and experts in ancient languages and DNA testing to help decipher the scrawl on the tombs...

Despite the explosive subject matter, however, the special itself is a bit of a slog...All told, the net effect is much like one of those old"In Search Of" movies, which claimed to find Noah's Ark or ancient Aztecs or alien landings...

Of course, for biblical scholars, conspiracy buffs and the Catholic Church, whether Jesus had a large extended family and was buried with them in the heart of Jerusalem is very big news. As presented here, the evidence appears pretty compelling, though perhaps it's just a layman's eyes, but some of the moments that excite the scientists seem less than overwhelming...

"CSI: Jesus?" Seriously, how the hell did CBS overlook that one?

Related Links

The Jesus/Talpiot Tomb: around the blogosphere (James Tabor, Codex blog)

Christian documentary producer challenges 'Lost Tomb' (ChristianNewsWire)

The Tomb of the Reputation of James, Son of Philip

Ted Koppel to moderate panel discussion following 'Lost Tomb of Jesus'