WE’RE ONLY GUESSING HERE. If I had to measure everything I knew about the universe, god, and cheeseburgers as a percentage of everything there is to know about the universe, god, and cheeseburgers, I’d end up as close to 0% as mathematically possible. The only good part is, Einstein would end up with about the same percentage. After all, he was probably only guessing most of the time, too. (Though, perhaps, he was a better guesser than most.)

‘Jesus’ Inscription on Stone May Be Earliest Ever Found

But Dr. Meyers questioned whether the discovery, if it does refer to Jesus Christ, will “tell us anything we didn’t already know.” He and other scholars agreed that Jesus as a historical figure had long been well established.

Dr. Joseph Fitzmyer , professor emeritus of New Testament studies at Catholic University in Washington, hailed it as a significant discovery if it does indeed refer to Jesus of Nazareth. “That would be a new extrabiblical attestation of his existence, and there are so few extrabiblical things that do,” he said.

Still, Dr. Fitzmyer said he had serious doubts that the third name on the inscription actually referred to Jesus of Nazareth. “My reaction is, it’s possible, but I hesitate to say probable,” he said. “I don’t see how anybody can say any more.”