the royal ontario museum opens its doors to what may be the most significant discovery ever in biblicalhaeology. a limestone burial box known as an ossuary, scientifically dated to the time of christ. on its side an inscription in ancient aramaic which reads "james, son of joseph, brother of jesus." >> it came just as we'd crossed the millennium threshold. we'd already had the y2k bug, we'd had the pope's millennial visits to the holy land. and this seemed to be another one of those millennial happenings. >> it's claimed that this box, measuring 10 inches by 20 is no less than the burial casket of james, the brother of jesus christ. >> the ossuary is so important not just for the fact that it says the brother of jesus, but you have to understand that there's no physical evidence of the existence of jesus of nazareth dating from the time of jesus. there's nothing except the gospels, which were written down decades later. this would be the first physical evidence that jesus of nazareth existed. >> this is such a landmark. i mean, this is the only material evidence, nonliterary we have for

the royal ontario museum opens its doors to ha may be the most significant discovery ever in biblical archaeology. a limestone burial box known as an ossuary, scientifically dated to the time of christ. on its side an inscription in ancient aramaic which reads "james, son of joseph, brother of jesus". >> it came just as we'd crossed the millennium threshold. we'd already had the y2k bug, the pope's millennial visit to the holy land, and this seemed to be another one of those millennial happenings. >> it's claimed that this box, measuring 10 inches by 20 is no less than the burial casket of james, the brother of jesus christ. >> ossuary is so important, not just for the fact that it says the brother of jesus, but you have to understand that there's no physical evidence of the existence of jesus of nazareth dating from the time of jesus. there's nothing except the gospels, which were written down decades later. this would be the first physical evidence that jesus of nazareth existed. >> this is such a land mark. i mean, this is the only material evidence, nonliterary we have for the fam