Inscribed Ossuary Linked to the High Priest

An ornate limestone ossuary discovered in a Jerusalem burial cave bears the Aramaic inscription ‘Yehosef bar Qayafa’ (Joseph son of Caiaphas); the find is plausibly associated with the high priest Caiaphas attested in the New Testament and Josephus.

Archaeological Context and Dating

Found in a Second Temple period burial cave with other ossuaries, the box contained multiple individuals’ bones and stylistic features consistent with elite Jerusalem burials of the 1st century CE.

Scholarly Implications and Limits

While the name and date fit the New Testament Caiaphas, absolute identification remains debated; nonetheless the ossuary provides rare material culture for priestly families and burial practice in late Second Temple Jerusalem.

Sources

Greenhut; IAA reports; ossuary corpora

Caiaphas ossuary reports (Israel Museum)

Other Information About Caiaphas Ossuary

Scholarly discussion in BAS and journals; ossuary catalogues; burial studies.