Located in the Black Sea near Sozopol on the eastern coast of Bulgaria, the island of Sveti Ivan has long been a favorite tourist destination. In ancient times, there was the temple of Apollo. But this time the journalists met with the old Bulgarian archaeologist to talk about the most important find in his entire career.
Interesting find
In 2010, Kazimir Popkonstantinov discovered bones, which, in his opinion, are the remains of one of the most famous saints - John the Baptist. It was interesting to know what DNA analysis can tell us about these relics. Together with the biblical scholar Joe Basil, they traveled around the world, during which a documentary film about religious and scientific facts was filmed. How is Jesus Christ connected with these archaeological finds?
Popkonstantinov made his discovery during the excavation of a 6th century church on the island, built on top of the basilica about a century ago. As he carefully scraped off the dirt that supposedly contained the altar, he came across a stone slab and was startled to find a small marble box underneath. The archaeologist immediately realized what it could be. The consecration of a church in this part of Europe in the 5th century required the maintenance of a relic from a saint or religious person. In this box, known as the reliquary, it was she who was.
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Reliquary
Popkonstantinov continued excavations and discovered another box about a meter in size. On the edge of the bottom drawer was the inscription: “God save you, servant Thomas. St. John."
When Casimir opened the reliquary, he found five bone fragments. The epitaph on the smaller box was probably used to transport bones while traveling. She was the key piece of evidence that led the researcher to believe that the remains could be the same as that of John the Baptist. The find is extremely important, in part because John the Baptist is a disciple of Jesus and his relative (cousin). That is, their DNA must match.
Thanks to a number of scientific advances, the field of deciphering ancient genetic markers is rapidly developing, involving the extraction and analysis of hereditary material from bones and fossil organisms dug out of the ground. We now have DNA from hundreds of people who have long been dead, and analyzing these sequences makes it possible to better understand human history.
DNA as proof of identity
One can be skeptical about what the bones found in Bulgaria told science. For starters, no test can prove that these were fragments of John the Baptist, Jesus, or any other specific person. We cannot extract and analyze an unknown sample and magically say that it belonged to this or that historical character. To do this, we need a sample that definitely belonged to John the Baptist and with which we could compare the bones. Thus, deciphering the genetic material alone will not be very helpful.
Another important factor is the risk of other people's touch marks on the remains. In an ideal scenario, the ancient material that is supposed to be used for genetic analysis should not have been touched by anyone since the person died. The best ancient samples are dug from the ground, placed in a bag, and then sent directly to the ancient laboratory for DNA analysis. During the 500 years between the death of John the Baptist and the bones imprinted in the church, any number of people could touch the holy relics and leave their DNA on them.
Hope is not lost
But this does not mean that there is no hope. DNA degrades over time, so we can test any genetic material extracted from ancient remains for pinpoint signs of degradation. This means that scientists are able to differentiate modern traces from ancient genomes. We can also try to extract DNA from the inside of bones and DNA sequences from people known to have come into contact with artifacts. This will help distinguish between ancient DNA and modern pollution.
What can DNA tell you?
DNA should be used as a complementary tool for archeology. There are two obvious benefits that DNA testing can bring to a specific study. We can compare DNA from relics with DNA from other relics.
If we find other relics supposedly belonging to John the Baptist or a close relative like Jesus, then we could use genetics to compare the two people to prove they are related.
In addition, the collections of DNA collected from people around the world are increasing, and we can use them to establish the geographical origin of the relics.
What do the bones found in Bulgaria testify to?
Radiocarbon dating showed that the relics were indeed 2,000 years old. The DNA sequence appears to have shown similarities to modern populations of the Middle East.
The geneticist who conducted the study said the DNA sequence matches the person who extracted the bone material. This means that it is very likely that traces remain. There is only a small amount of material left for laboratory research, so it is unlikely that scientists will be able to use DNA to figure out exactly who the bones belong to.
Material from Bulgaria, which some researchers believe is the remains of Jesus' brother, is currently being sequenced by geneticists.
Scientific work with other artifacts
However, there are scientists who have other relics in whose study DNA analysis can be carried out. For example, recent research has revealed multiple DNAs on the Turin Shroud that Jesus was wrapped in when he was taken down from the cross.
There is also a man in Jerusalem who is working to arrange the material representing the remains of Jacob the Sanctifier. Perhaps it was this saint who held the bones of John the Baptist.
An Israeli archaeologist is conducting a scientific study of the nails left on the crucifix. Unfortunately, it's impossible to extract DNA from rusty iron.
Although DNA analysis cannot prove that these artifacts can one day provide an accurate picture of the relationship between the saints and their modern descendants.
Let's assume for a moment that DNA traces can be completely removed, and analysis has shown that DNA from the Shroud is linked to DNA from bones found in Bulgaria. Could this be the DNA of Jesus and his family? It takes deep faith to answer all of these questions.
Maya Muzashvili