She Belonged to the Family of Caiaphas

Now and again, an archeological revelation legitimately or in a roundabout way affirms the presence of a Bible character. In 2011, for example, Israeli researchers distributed data with respect to a find that does as such. It is a 2,000-year-old entombment ossuary—an improved limestone chest into which the bones of an expired individual were set after the tissue had disintegrated.

This specific ossuary bears the engraving: "Miriam little girl of Yeshua child of Caiaphas, minister of Ma′aziah from Beth ′Imri." The Jewish devout cleric engaged with Jesus' preliminary and execution was Caiaphas. (John 11:48-50) Historian Flavius Josephus alludes to him as "Joseph, who was called Caiaphas." This ossuary obviously had a place with one of his relatives. Since the engraving on a recently discovered ossuary thought to have a place with the devout cleric himself calls him Yehosef bar Caiaphas, or Joseph, child of Caiaphas, * Miriam was identified with Caiaphas somehow or another.

As indicated by data given by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), Miriam's ossuary was seized from criminals who had ravaged an old tomb. The examination of this relic and its engraving affirm its legitimacy.

The ossuary additionally reveals to us something new. It alludes to "Ma′aziah," which was the remainder of the 24 holy divisions, or courses, serving in a revolution at Jerusalem's sanctuary. (1 Chron. 24:18) The engraving on this ossuary uncovers that "the Caiaphas family was identified with the Ma′aziah course," says the IAA.

The engraving additionally makes reference to Beth ′Imri. There are two potential elucidations of this piece of the engraving. "The main plausibility is that Beth ′Imri is the name of a consecrated family—the children of 'Immer (Ezra 2:36-37; Nehemiah 7:39-42) whose relatives incorporate individuals from the Ma′aziah course," says the IAA. "The second probability is [that Beth ′Imri is] the spot of the root of the perished or of her whole family." For any situation, Miriam's ossuary gives proof that the Bible talks about genuine individuals who had a place with genuine families.