Contact: Rob Schenck, Faith and Action, 202-546-8329, ext 106

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- A liberal website out of Jerusalem, Israel is reporting that a documentary film to be aired this week will prove the actual burial site for Jesus Christ and his family has been found. The filmmakers, including James Cameron of Titanic fame, claim they will display the coffins of Jesus and his mother Mary at a New York news conference on Monday.

The implications are clear: According the filmmakers, Jesus did not rise from the grave.

In response to the announced news conference, National Clergy Council president, the Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK) said:

“This kind of sensationalism has been tried before. Only five years ago no less of a prestigious organization than Biblical Archeological Review Journal claimed it had the coffin of James, the brother of Jesus. It was later determined to be a hoax.

“These filmmakers, who have an obvious bias against Christianity, say the evidence in this case rests on the names inscribed on the coffins and DNA testing. First, the names Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the others they will site, were some of the most common for that region at that time. Second, there are no known descendants of Mary alive today, so what does DNA have to do with it?

“Thinking people should take this announcement with a grain of salt.”

Rev. Schenck is also chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance, America’s oldest association of evangelical clergy. The National Clergy Council is based in Washington, DC, and represents conservative church leaders from all Christian traditions.

Rev. Schenck is available for further comment at 202-546-8329, ext. 106.

For the article out of Israel follow this link.