Ngezinye iinkhathi, isayensi yokurhubhululwa kwezinto zakade iqinisekisa ngokunqophileko nofana ngokungakanqophi bona umuntu okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhilini wakhe waphila kwamambala. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-2011, izazi zakwa-Israel zagadangisa imininingwana emalungana nerhubhululo elinjalo. Libhoksi lamathambo elineminyaka ezi-2 000—ibhokseli elenziwe ngelitje le-lime gade kufakwa kilo amathambo womuntu ohlongakeleko ngemva kobana inyamakhe idlekile.

Ibhokseli linomtlolo othi: “UMeriyamu indodakazi kaYeshua indodana kaKhayifasi, umpristi weMahaziya obekavela eBeth ′Imri.” Umpristi ophakemeko omJuda obekanengcenye emlandwini kaJesu nekubulaweni kwakhe nguKhayifasi. (Jwa. 11:48-50) Isazi-mlando uFlavius Josephus siqalisela kuye ‘njengoJesefa, obekabizwa ngokobana nguKhayifasi.’ Kuyakhanya bona ibhokseli belingelomunye weenhlobo zakaKhayifasi. Njengombana kucatjangwa bona umtlolo othi “Yehosef bar Caiapha,” nofana uJesefa, indodana kaKhayifasi * osebhoksini elifunyenwe ngaphambilini uqalisela empristini ophakemeko, uMeriyamu bekahlobene noKhayifasi ngendlela ethileko.

Ngokwemininingwana evela ku-Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), ibhoksi lakaMeriyamu lamukwa iinlelesi ebeziphange ithuna lekadeni. Ukuhlolisiswa kwebhokseli nomtlolo walo kwafakazela bona ngelamambala.

Godu ibhoksi lamathambo kaMeriyamu lisembulela nokhunye okutjha. Likhuluma ‘ngeMahaziya,’ obekusigaba samaswaphela kwezi-24 zabapristi ebebakhonza ngokutjhentjhana etempelini leJerusalema. (1 Mil. 24:18) I-IAA ithi umtlolo osebhoksineli wembula bona “umndeni wakwaKhayifasi bewuhlobene nesigaba seMahaziya.”

Umtlolo godu ukhuluma ngeBeth ′Imri. Kuneenhlathululo eembili zengcenye yomtlolo le. I-IAA ithi: “Ihlathululo yokuthoma ithi iBeth ′Imri libizo lomndeni wabapristi—amadodana ka-Imeri (Ezra 2:36, 37; Nehemiya 7:39-42) inzalwawo ehlanganisa amalunga wesigaba seMahaziya.” “Ihlathululo yesibili [kukuthi iBeth ′Imri] yindawo uMeriyamu nofana umndenakhe woke owabelethelwa kiyo.” Kinanyana ngikuphi, ibhoksi lakaMeriyamu linikela ubufakazi bokobana iBhayibhili ikhuluma ngabantu bamambala ebebavela emindenini yamambala.