Ancient Ossuary May Hold Clues to Identity of Man Who Carried Jesus' Cross

A 2,000-year-old limestone ossuary, or bone chest, unearthed in Jerusalem may provide new insights into the identity of Simon of Cyrene, the biblical figure who, according to the Gospel of Mark, was compelled by Roman soldiers to carry Jesus' cross.

The ossuary bears the inscription "Alexander, son of Simon," a father-and-son pairing that aligns with the Gospel of Mark's account. New Testament scholar Dr. Jeremiah Johnston suggests that the convergence of names, family connection, geographic origin, and the time period makes a link highly plausible.

"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."

Further supporting this connection is a marking on the ossuary's lid, interpreted as a reference to Cyrene, a North African city from which Simon of Cyrene is described as hailing in the Bible. The Gospel of Mark states that Simon was a passerby from the countryside when he was forced to help Jesus.

"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."

The ossuary was discovered in a Jerusalem tomb in 1941, along with 11 other ossuaries. Johnston noted that the tomb did not contain a separate bone box for Rufus, Alexander's brother, who is also mentioned in Mark's Gospel (Mark 15:21). "So we cannot call it proven with certainty, but high probability," Johnston stated regarding the identification.

He emphasized that the inclusion of Simon's sons' names in Mark's Gospel suggests they were known to early readers, serving as potential witnesses to the events. "He is pointing to living witnesses who could confirm the story. Ancient legends don't work that way. Eyewitness history does. And this ossuary shows that Mark's details fit real people in real Jerusalem."

Biblical Archaeology Review contributor Tom Powers, writing in 2003, explored the possibility that the ossuary might have held the remains of both Alexander and his father, Simon. Powers noted differences in the depth of the inscriptions, suggesting Simon's name was carved first, with Alexander's added later. He also pointed to a chalk inscription on another side of the chest that could be interpreted as listing two individuals.

However, some scholars dispute the idea of a shared burial, arguing that the inscriptions indicate only one individual, Alexander, was interred in the chest. The excavation report did not specify the number of individuals whose remains were found within the ossuaries.

Pottery discovered in the tomb, including a Herodian oil lamp, helps date its final use to the first century AD, prior to the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This timeline aligns with the period described in the Gospel accounts, approximately 40 years after Jesus' death.