EXCLUSIVE: A Closer Look Inside Christ's Unsealed Tomb
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." (See an
update on the discoveries inside the tomb here.)
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.
The shrine that
houses the traditional burial place of Jesus Christ is undergoing
restoration inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
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."
Workers begin
removing the worn marble that has encased the original burial shelf for
centuries, exposing a layer of fill material below.
Photograph by Dusan Vranic, AP for National Geographic
Photograph by Dusan Vranic, AP for National Geographic
Moment of Revelation
The doors to the church were shut early—hours before normal closing
time, leaving a bewildered crowd of pilgrims and tourists standing in
front of the towering wooden doors. Inside, a scrum of conservators in
yellow hard hats, Franciscans in simple brown robes, Greek orthodox
priests in tall black hats, and Copts in embroidered hoods surrounded
the entrance to the Edicule, peering into its reaches. Rising above all
of them was the façade of the early 19th-century shrine, its elaborate
carvings obscured by iron beams and orange safety tape.
Inside the tomb, which usually glows with a faint constellation of
wax candles, bright construction lighting filled the small cell,
revealing tiny details that are usually overlooked. The marble slab that
covers the holy bench—roughly 3 by 5 feet and carved from creamy
marble—had been pulled away from the wall. Beneath it was a grey-beige
stone surface. What is it? a conservator was asked. "We don’t know yet,"
she replied. "It's time to bring in the scientific monitoring tools."
A Christian nun kneels in prayer at the "burial bed" of Christ inside the tomb shrine, known as the Edicule.
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also known as the Church of the
Resurrection) is currently under the custody of six Christian sects.
Three major groups—the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church,
and the Armenian Orthodox Church—maintain primary control over the
site, and the Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac communities also
have a presence there. Parts of the church that are considered common
areas of worship for all of the sects, including the tomb, are regulated
by a Status Quo agreement that requires the consent of all of the
custodial churches.
Outside the Edicule, Thephilos III, the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem,
stood watching the events with a serene smile. "I'm glad that the
atmosphere is special, there is a hidden joy," said the patriarch. "Here
we have Franciscans, Armenians, Greeks, Muslim guards, and Jewish
police officers. We hope and we pray that this will be a real message
that the impossible can become the possible. We all need peace and
mutual respect."
Resurrecting a Sacred Shrine
The structural integrity of the early 19th-century Edicule has been a
concern for decades. It suffered damage during a 1927 earthquake, and
British authorities were forced to shore up the building in 1947 with
unsightly exterior girders that remain to this day. Difficulties among
the Status Quo representatives and a lack of financial resources have
hindered its repair.
Church leaders listen to an update on the renovation work from Dr. Antonia Moropoulou, leader of the restoration team.
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
In 2015, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with the
agreement of the other two major communities, invited the National
Technical University of Athens (which had previously led restoration
projects on the Athenian Acropolis and the Hagia Sophia) to study the
Edicule. The communities of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre agreed to
restore the structure in March 2016, with work to be completed by the
spring of 2017. Major donors to the $4-million-plus project include a
royal benefaction from Jordan's King Abdullah II, and $1.3-million gift
from Mica Ertegun to the World Monuments Fund in support of the project.
The National Geographic Society, with the blessing of the Greek
Patriarch of Jerusalem and the other religious communities, formed a
strategic alliance with the National Technical University of Athens for
cultural heritage preservation. For an exclusive look at the restoration
project, watch Explorer on National Geographic Channel, coming in November.
Kristin Romey is a staff writer covering archaeology and paleontology for National Geographic.
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