Crucifixion is abundantly attested in ancient texts but almost invisible archaeologically — victims were rarely buried, and nails were salvaged. This ossuary, inscribed for one Yehohanan, preserved the exception: the nail through his heel had bent against a knot in the olive-wood cross and could not be pulled out, so he was buried with it. One skeleton quietly settled two debates: the Romans in Judaea really did nail their victims, and a crucified man could still receive an honourable Jewish burial.
- What it is
- A first-century ossuary burial including a heel bone still transfixed by an iron nail
- Date of artifact
- 1st century AD
- Discovered
- a tomb at Giv'at ha-Mivtar, north Jerusalem, 1968 (Vassilios Tzaferis's excavation)
- Where it is now
- Israel Antiquities Authority; replica displayed in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- Related to
- Roman crucifixion as the Gospels describe it — nails, not just ropes
- Scripture
- John 20:25 · Luke 24:39
What this find showsNailed crucifixion was practised in first-century Jerusalem, and crucifixion did not preclude proper burial — both directly relevant to the plausibility of the Gospel burial accounts.
What it does not proveThis is not evidence about Jesus himself; and the initial claims that the man's arms were nailed and legs broken did not survive re-examination — only the nailed heel is secure.
Sources & further reading