The following is a Red Alerts guest post by Jenn:

After watching Simcha Jacobovici’s “Lost Tomb of Jesus” on the Discovery Channel, I can summarize the media frenzy leading up to the debut in four words: much ado about nothing.

I was prepared to title my post “The Grinch Who Stole Christianity,” but if anything, the James Cameron-produced film will only serve to strengthen the faith of the world’s believers. The docudrama bombarded us with more “if/then” statements than an introductory logic course, and dealt more with possibilities, assumptions, and fanciful wouldas and couldas (supported by high-budget dramatizations) than with actual fact and valid statistical samples.

Nothing presented in the film refuted the Christian belief that Jesus physically ascended to heaven, and there was no solid evidence to suggest Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a son, or even that Jesus Christ had ever been entombed at the site in question. A whole lotta hype, some cleverly disguised speculation, and not much substance.

During the Discovery Channel aftershow with Ted Koppel, Jacobovici repeatedly called the evidence that he had found the ossuary of Jesus “compelling,” yet even he had to admit that his work proved nothing and at best, will be a catalyst for further research. His scholarly critics were not as kind.

William Dever, archaeologist, suggested that the evidence presented in the film was based on “half truths” and Jonathan Reed, professor of religion, generated a great soundbite when he referred to the documentary as “archeoporn” (titillating, but deep down you know it’s wrong.)

I’ll leave you with two Jacobovici quotes taken from Koppel’s show which led me to further question the quality of his “evidence” and the veracity of his statements:

Responding to Reed’s archeoporn statement:

“Since I don’t watch porn, I don’t know what that means.”

Uh huh.

And Jacobovici’s evidence that one of his dubious claims is actually fact:

“People can google this.”

I rest my case.