The discovery of a limestone burial box with the inscription, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" set the world of biblical archaeology abuzz. Hershel Shanks and Ben Witherington III reveal not only what the discovery means for understanding the Bible, but also what it shows about the family of Jesus and the earliest Christians.

Introduction /Hershel Shanks -- Foreword / André Lemaire -- pt. 1. The story of a remarkable discovery / Hershel Shanks -- 1. Oh, no! -- 2. An -- amazing discovery -- 3. How could the son of God have a brother? -- 4. Is it a fake? -- 5. Is it the Jesus? -- 6. Can we ignore it? -- pt. 2. The story of James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus / Ben Witherington III -- Introduction : in this end, a beginning -- 7. From brother to follower -- 8. From follower to head of the Jerusalem Church -- 9. James, mediator between Jews and Gentiles -- 10. James the sage -- 11. The death of James -- 12. James the legend -- 13. Brother, cousin, or kin? -- 14. Son of Joseph, brother of Jesus -- Acknowledgments.