An ancient tomb that some archeologists believe to be the tomb of Jesus and his family based on the names inscribed on the ossuaries was discovered in East Talpiot when a housing project was being built.
A host of similar, previously unknown sites were also included in the book, however, and the text created a context for understanding the construction of these types of elaborate ossuaries as a Catholic phenomenon that was initiated during the Counter-Reformation.
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The book included other famous ossuaries, such as the Sedlec Ossuary and the crypt of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, where he had been granted special permission by the monastery and Italian cultural authorities to photograph.