Bones claimed to be of John the Baptist consisting of (clockwise from top left) a knucklebone, ulna, part of cranial bone & molar & rib (© Oxford University)

Bulgaria jazzed it might have John the Baptist's bones

6/15/2012

Bulgaria might be the last place you'd expect to find John the Baptist's bones, but archaeologists may have discovered a box of them on the remote island of Sveti Itan (which, incidentally, translates to "St. John"). The bone fragments include a knuckle bone, a tooth, part of a cranium, a rib and an arm bone. Results of radiocarbon dating and DNA sequencing indicate they probably came from a Middle Eastern man living in the early first century. OK, somewhat convincing, but without any actual John the Baptist DNA with which to compare it, it's impossible to be sure. We won't be surprised, though, if this creates a few miracles for Bulgaria's tourism industry.

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Do you think these bones could be the real deal?