At the Church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem lies the rock surface that is believed to be where Jesus’ body was laid to rest.
A marble layer was removed from the tomb to try and reach the rock, seeing that historians assure that the cave where he was hidden was destroyed, but this changed as radar resonance tests showed that some of the cave walls remain intact and connected to bedrock, reaching far beyond the church’s foundations.
The place where Jesus was buried
The project has the intention of renovating the chamber containing the cave where Jesus was reportedly buried, according to the Bible. The Edicule, a chamber found inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is one of the most valued treasures of Christianity.
The building has suffered widely from invasions and disasters. In 614 it was put on fire by the Persian king Khosrau II, who also captured the True Cross. Christianity recaptured the church in 630, but Muslims continued to visit the place to pray as Jesus is believed to be one of the leading prophets in Islam. An earthquake damaged the building in 746, and then another earthquake damaged the structure in the ninth century. The church was set on fire several times, and caliph Al-Hakim destroyed it in 1009.
Then the Crusades ensued, where the primary objective was the capture of Jerusalem. Crusaders had the intention of praying at the Holy Sepulcher, and there was even an Order of the Holy Sepulcher. The church was lost and regained several times, suffering severe damages until 1854, when it saw its largest renovation.
The Bible says that Jesus was laid on a rock after he was crucified approximately on 33 A.D. The place is covered by the Edicule, which was rebuilt on 1808, and is now undergoing a therapeutic process by Greek historians and scientists.
“The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it. 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,” stated Frederik Hiebert, an archaeologist for the National Geographic Society.
Thanks to the burial site being exposed for the first time in centuries, researchers will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to survey the place where Jesus was supposedly laid to rest. The Edicule is guarded by Christians, Muslims, and Jew officials, seeing that the historical significance of the man known as Jesus has deeply affected the development of human history. Providing a middle ground for finding peace and respect in the name of those that set a before and after in history, even if Jewish tradition deems Jesus as a false prophet.
The church is under a status quo decree, which names the statutes of property and the roles of custodians for the holy site. Each Christian church has its representation in the custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and even leaving a door open during celebrations has sparked controversy and violence, seeing that the place boasts unprecedented historical and religious significance.
Source: National Geographic