The Caiaphas ossuary
The family, and very probably the man, who presided at Jesus' hearing is documented by an inscribed ossuary from an excavated Jerusalem tomb.
Fakakikihi'iMe'a1st century AD
An ornately carved limestone bone-box from a first-century tomb, scratched with the name "Yehosef bar Qayafa" — Joseph son of Caiaphas. Josephus gives the high priest's full name as Joseph Caiaphas, which is what the box says.
Yehosef bar Qayafa — Joseph, son of Caiaphas.
- Na'e 'ilo'i
- A burial cave in the Peace Forest, southern Jerusalem, 1990 — Chance discovery during roadworks; excavated by Zvi Greenhut
- 'Oku tauhi 'i
- Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- Lea
- Aramaic
- Na'e a'u mai fēfē kiate kitautolu
- Na'e keli hake, pe 'oku kei tu'u 'i he potu na'e langa ai.
Ko e me'a 'oku ne fakahā
The tomb and the inscription are securely provenanced. Whether this particular ossuary held the high priest himself, or a relative of the same family name, is debated among specialists.
Founga hono ngāue'aki 'e he kau hisitōlia
Discussed in secular archaeology of Second Temple burial practice; the family's existence is not in question.
'I he Folofola
Fekau'aki mo
Ngaahi ma'u'anga fakamatala
- Greenhut, "The Caiaphas Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem", Atiqot 21 (1992)
- Caiaphas ossuary — overview and bibliography
'Oku 'i he lea faka-Pilitānia 'a e ngaahi fakamatala ko 'eni he taimi ni. 'E muimui mai 'a e liliu.