Nails of the Cross airs on television

‘Nails of the Cross’
Investigates Findings in Ancient Tomb:
Show Airs on History Channel on April 20, the Wednesday before Easter

JERUSALEM, April 12, 2011 – A television show that will air on the History Channel the week before Easter makes the case that two Roman nails found in an ancient tomb in the Jerusalem area may have been used to crucify Jesus.

The “Nails of the Cross” airs at 11 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 20. Simcha Jacobovici, a three-time Emmy Award winner who created and hosts the show, describes it as “investigative archaeology,” which interprets the historical record through context and clusters of artifacts.

“We have presented the best archaeological argument to show that these are two of the nails used to crucify Jesus,” Jacobovici says. “With Christians around the world preparing to celebrate Easter, this is a startling discovery.”

The artifacts in question came to light on a cold day in November 1990 in the Peace Forest, south of Jerusalem. Construction workers, widening a road while building a water park, unearthed an ancient tomb with their bulldozer.

When the findings indicated that the cave likely was the family tomb of Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over the trial of Jesus and delivered him to the Romans to be crucified, it created a sensation. One scholar said that he could “hardly imagine a more significant discovery from that period.”

“Nails of the Cross” begins where that story ends.

“Although Caiaphas’ ossuary has been on display around the world and is now in the Israel Museum, two Roman nails, found in the tomb, disappeared,” Jacobovici said. “They were not sketched, photographed, measured or archived.”

So he began an investigation. The goal was to re-enter the tomb, find the nails and determine if they were used to crucify Jesus.

Jacobovici and his team use 21st century technology, including ground-penetrating radar and robotic cameras, to locate the tomb and determine its contents. Their quest for answers takes them beyond Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and even to Turkey to consult with scholars and government officials.

They end up exploring a historical controversy about the role of Caiaphas in Christ’s crucifixion that will be thought-provoking for people of all faiths. They also end up locating the nails, examining them and bringing their story to the world.

For more information about the show from Associated Producers Ltd., visit http://www.history.com/schedule/4/20/2011