“Wasn’t Mary a common name back then? Why does he believe it’s the Mary who was Jesus’ mother?”

“Because Shawn has discovered an authentic second-century letter that claims the ossuary contains the bones of Jesus’ mother. And it was the letter that led Shawn to the bones.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “I see your point. But what about the letter? Couldn’t that be fake?”

“Although it is somewhat tautological, finding the ossuary where the letter says it will be proves the authenticity of the letter, and vice versa. Both are such extraordinary finds that that fact alone will convince people that the bones in the ossuary are the Holy Mother’s.”

Jack thought about the issue while using a pair of silver tongs to help himself to some of the raw vegetables that had been waiting on the table. He could see James’s point. But then he had another idea. “Did you see the letter?”

“I did. I saw it yesterday.”

“Who wrote it?”

“A bishop of Antioch called Saturninus.”

“I never heard of him.”

“He’s a known figure, not very well known, but he was a real person.”

“Who did he write to?”

“Another bishop, a bishop of Alexandria, named Basilides.”

“I never heard of him, either.”

“Do you know anything about Gnosticism?”

“Can’t say I do. It’s a subject that doesn’t come up often at the morgue.”

“I’m sure not,” James said with a laugh. “It was a serious heresy in the early Christian church, and Basilides was an early leader.”

“Would Saturninus have had any reason to lie to Basilides?”

“Clever idea,” James said, “but unfortunately no.”

“Does Saturninus take responsibility for actually burying the ossuary?”

“Most definitely.”

“Does he say how he came to have the relics or who gave them to him?”

“He does, and you are cleverly enough coming to what I think is the weakest point in the chain of custody, so to speak. Do you know who Simon Magus was?”

“You have me there, too. Never heard of him.”

“He is the archvillain of the Bible’s New Testament, a true scoundrel who tried to buy Saint Peter’s healing powers. From him we get the word simony.”

Jack smiled inwardly when he realized that Jesus Christ was the most famous provider of alternative medicine, and Saint Peter was the second.

“Simon Magus is also considered by some to be one of the earliest Gnostics,” James continued. “And Saturninus, who was much younger, worked for him, helping him with his magic. So to prove whether the bones in the ossuary are the Holy Mother’s, which they certainly are not, it all depends on Simon Magus, perhaps the most notoriously poor witness of all.”

“There’s another way,” Jack said. “A particularly straightforward way.”

“Which is?” James asked eagerly.