Christ's Burial Place Exposed for First Time in Centuries
JerusalemFor
the first time in centuries, scientists have exposed the original
surface of what is traditionally considered the tomb of Jesus Christ.
Located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
in the Old City of Jerusalem, the tomb has been covered by marble
cladding since at least 1555 A.D., and most likely centuries earlier. "The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were
surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it,” said Fredrik
Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, a
partner in the restoration project. “It will be a long scientific
analysis, but we will finally be able to see the original rock surface
on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid." According to Christian tradition, the body of Jesus Christ was laid
on a shelf or “burial bed” hewn from the side of a limestone cave
following his crucifixion by the Romans in A.D. 30 or possibly 33.
Christian belief says Christ was resurrected after death, and women who
came to anoint his body three days after the burial reported that no
remains were present. This burial shelf is now enclosed by a small structure known as the Edicule (from the Latin aedicule,
or "little house"), which was last reconstructed in 1808-1810 after
being destroyed in a fire. The Edicule and the interior tomb are
currently undergoing restoration by a team of scientists from the
National Technical University of Athens, under the direction of Chief
Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou. The exposure of the burial bed is giving researchers an unprecedented
opportunity to study the original surface of what is considered the
most sacred site in Christianity. An analysis of the original rock may
enable them to better understand not only the original form of the tomb
chamber, but also how it evolved as the focal point of veneration since
it was first identified by Helena, mother of the Roman emperor
Constantine, in A.D. 326. "We are at the critical moment for rehabilitating the Edicule,"
Moropoulou said. "The techniques we're using to document this unique
monument will enable the world to study our findings as if they
themselves were in the tomb of Christ."