A Biblical scholar has recently claimed that the 2,000-year-old bone box found in 2002 with Aramaic inscription confirms that Jesus did have a brother.
The inscription read: "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," seemingly backing up Biblical references to James, the Mirror reported.
Since then, interpretations of what the term "brother" could mean have been debated by experts, with some arguing that James would only have been a cousin.
But speaking to CNN, Professor Witherington, of the Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, said that the reading should be taken literally.
The New Testament stated nothing about Mary being a perpetual virgin, it mentioned she virginally conceived Jesus, and it certainly implies that she went on to have more children after that, and his brothers and sisters are in fact his brothers and sisters, he further added.
The artifact found in 2002, known as the "James ossuary," was exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum in 2003, but was later accused of being a fake.
