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TODD BOLEN/BIBLEPLACES.COM

BONES AND NAILS. In a fortunate 1968 discovery at the Jewish burial site of Givat ha-Mivtar in Jerusalem, archaeologists uncovered a heel bone with a nail driven through it. Found amid mixed human remains that date between the first century BCE and the First Jewish Revolt, some have suggested it may be an example of crucifixion from the time of Jesus, while others believe it was deposited in the tomb decades later. This gruesome find rested at the bottom of an ancient bone box (ossuary) inscribed with the phrase Yehohanan ben hagaqol. While Yehohanan is clearly a male name, the meaning of hagaqol is disputed, with some suggesting a different reading referring to a type of crucifixion with knees apart. Yehohanan’s ossuary and the heel bone replica shown here are currently on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.