Biblical Scholars Locked in High-Tech, High-Stakes Debate Over Authenticity

Interesting article from the Associated Press discusses three current high-profile, high-tech debates involving biblical antiquities:

In the most important development, scholars, including Russell Adams of Hamilton's McMaster University, say tests on remains from a dig in Jordan indicate the biblical country of Edom existed during the era of kings David and Solomon, if not earlier. The find could undercut skeptics of biblical history.

Prosecutors in Israel filed fraud charges Dec. 29 involving a purported first-century inscription of Jesus Christ's name. But a prominent archeology magazine plans to assail the government's scientific evidence.

New testing indicates the Shroud of Turin, a celebrated relic said to be Christ's burial cloth, could actually date from his time. That opposes scientists' earlier conclusion that the artifact is a fraud from the medieval era.