The limestone ossuary, which its supporters say once contained the remains of James, brother of Jesus Christ, has been undergoing tests at the direction of the Antiquities Authority since it was returned in mid-January to Tel Aviv from Toronto. It had been on public display, for the first time anywhere, at the Royal Ontario Museum starting in November of 2002, where it drew 100,000 visitors.

Israeli state broadcaster Channel One featured an interview late yesterday with Gabriel Barkay, a prominent archeologist with Jerusalem's Barilan University, who said the archeological committee was prepared to declare the ossuary's inscription a fake in a report to be released this week or, at the latest, early next. Dr. Barkay is not a member of the Antiquities Authority committee, but said he had heard the verdict from a committee member.

Debate over the authenticity of the ossuary has been raging since last October when the Washington-based Biblical Archaeology Review announced its existence and published an article by Sorbonne scholar Andr? Lemaire asserting that it dates from about the year 30 to the year 70. Most of the controversy has focused on the unusual Aramaic inscription on the side of the stone burial box that reads, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." If authentic, the inscription would make the ossuary probably the earliest found archeological attestation of Jesus's existence.

In an interview yesterday with CTV, Dr. Barkay said the committee will declare that the ossuary itself "is authentic beyond any doubt." However, "according to some scholars," the patina (or calcified encrustation) found inside the letters of the inscription "is not ancient," Dr. Barkay said. This means that, in all likelihood, "the inscription was added to the pre-existing ossuary and therefore the inscription is fake."

However, Dr. Barkay stressed he had not read the committee's full, final report and that he doesn't "regard as a final answer" the information he has heard. "If it is a fake, it's a fantastically executed piece," he said.

Dr. Barkay acknowledged "the disappointment will be big among those who believe it" to be concrete evidence of Christ's presence on Earth. "It's touching to have something to touch." But "among believers, it shouldn't matter . . . James exists anyhow."

Oded Golan, the Tel Aviv collector who owns the ossuary, told CTV that he remains "confident" both the ossuary and the words incised on its side "are authentic." He said he didn't wish to comment now on what the antiquities committee may say "without reading the full report. . . . Let's wait." He added that the 15-member committee established by the Antiquities Authority "was itself problematic," but refused to comment further.

Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeological Review, said yesterday he had not seen or heard the Israeli TV report. "There's been all kinds of rumours" in recent months, he said. "I've heard some wild things . . . but nothing you can rely on."