February 25, 2007
Calling Pirate
This is from the Discovery Channel documentation packet. I’d like your thoughts.
STATISTICS OVERVIEW
Dr.Andrey feuerverger, professor of statistics & mathematics at the University of toronto, has
concluded a high statistical probability that The talpiot tomb is the JESUS FAMILY TOMB.
In a study, Feuerverger examined the cluster of names in the tomb.
• This involved multiplying the instances that each name appeared during that
time period with the instances of every other name.
• To be conservative, he then divided the number by the statistical standard of 4
(or 25%) to allow for unintentional biases in the historical sources.
• He then further divided the results by 1,000 to account for all tombs that may
have existed in First Century Jerusalem.
Taking into account the chances that these names would be clustered together in a family tomb,
this statistical study concludes that the odds – on the most conservative basis – are 600 to 1 in
favor of this being the JESUS FAMILY TOMB. A statistical probability of 600 to 1 means that
this conclusion works 599 times out of 600.
STATISTICS TABLE
(Eliminating Matia since he is not explicatively mentioned in the Gospels)
(Adjusting for unintentional biases in the historical sources)
2,400,000 ÷4
(Adjust for all possible First Century Jerusalem Tombs)
600,000 ÷1,000
600 to 1
Jesus Son of Joseph Mariamne Matia Yose Maria
1 in 190 1 in 160 1 in 40 1 in 20 1 in 4
Jesus Son of Joseph Mariamne Matia Yose Maria
1/190 1/160 1/40 1/20 1/4
Jesus Son of Joseph Mariamne Yose Maria
1/190 1/160 1/20 1/4 = 1/2,400,000x x x
x x x x
= 600,000
= 1/97,280,000
= 600












