What if the name of the man who helped carry Jesus’ cross has been sitting on an ancient burial chest for nearly 2,000 years?
An intriguing archaeological find from Jerusalem is once again drawing attention because of its striking parallels to the Gospel of Mark—and while researchers cannot definitively say the artifact belonged to the biblical family, the details are difficult to ignore.
According to the Daily Mail, a limestone ossuary discovered in a Jerusalem tomb in 1941 bears inscriptions identifying “Alexander, son of Simon.” That combination carries enormous biblical significance because Mark 15:21 identifies Simon of Cyrene, the man forced to carry Christ’s cross, as “the father of Alexander and Rufus.”
Now, New Testament scholar Dr. Jeremiah Johnston says the pieces appear to line up in a remarkable way.
“So we have a Simon, a son named Alexander, and a Cyrenian family, buried in Jerusalem in the right period, before 70 AD,” Johnston told the Daily Mail. “Is it the same family? I think it is very plausible, if not likely.”
Another layer adds to the mystery.
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The Daily Mail reported that an inscription on the ossuary’s lid has been interpreted as a possible reference to Cyrene, the North African city from which the Simon described in Scripture came.
“The convergence of the name, the son, the Cyrenian origin, and the date is striking,” Johnston said. “In my judgment it tips toward a real connection.”
Yet archaeology demands caution. Simon and Alexander were common names during the period, and researchers have not identified an ossuary belonging to Rufus within the tomb. Johnston therefore stops short of calling the discovery definitive proof.
The archaeological context, however, fits the biblical era. The Daily Mail reported that pottery recovered from the tomb, including a Herodian oil lamp, indicates it was used during the first century before Jerusalem fell to Rome in A.D. 70.
For Christians, this is another fascinating intersection between the physical world of ancient Jerusalem and the people Scripture describes.
The stone cannot tell us with certainty whose bones once rested inside. But nearly two millennia after Simon carried the cross toward Calvary, the names carved upon it are certainly worth another look.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
