The Tomb Of Jesus Christ Opened After 500 Years, ‘What Was Found Is Astonishing’


The tomb of Jesus Christ has been discovered by researchers where he was laid to rest after his crucifixion, Science Alert is reporting. The innermost chamber of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher has long since been regarded at the tomb of Jesus Christ. However, many historians believed that the particular cave had been destroyed over the years and could not be located.

Where Jesus Christ was buried had been covered by a solid layer of marble. Archaeologists using ground penetrating radar tests had discovered signs of concealed layers behind the marble chamber which led them to the six-feet wall of the tomb of Jesus Christ.

Fredrik Hiebert, an archaeologist who works with the National Geographic Society revealed that a team had excavated the layers of marble to get to the original stone. Hiebert confirmed that the tomb of Jesus Christ was probably in the process of being removed for the first time since 1555 CE adding that there was still plenty of work that needed to be done.

[Image by Antonio Calanni/AP Images]

“The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we’re 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.”

According to the National Geographic, Jesus Christ was buried on a shelf and placed in a limestone cave after he was crucified by the Romans in A.D. 30 or 33. The traditional Christian belief is that Christ resurrected, after women who came three days after opened the tomb and did not find his body. The tomb of Jesus Christ is enclosed in a small structure called the Edicule which was reconstructed in 1808-1810 after being damaged in a fire.

The Edicule was again damaged in 1927 by an earthquake. British workers helped shore up the small house in 1947, but sustainable work could not be carried out because of the financial implications. In March, donors pooled together over $4 million to begin work at the historic site including the widow of music mogul, Ahmet Ertegun who contributed $1.3 million.

The Edicule is presently being renovated by a group of scientists from the National Technical University of Athens, under the tutelage of Chief Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou, work will be completed in the spring of 2017.

“We are at the critical moment of rehabilitating the Edicule. 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 Jesus Christ.”

The exposure of the tomb of Christ is giving researchers unmatched access to study the most consecrated site in Christianity. An analysis of the original rock piece will not only help archaeologists understand how the tomb of Jesus Christ was built, but how it has changed as a central core of veneration since it was first located by Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, in A.D. 326.

[Image by Emilio Morenatti/AP Images]

According to CBS News, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which holds the hallowed tomb of Christ is a 12th century building and the only place in the world where six Christian denominations practice their faith.

The Roman Catholic Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church exercise primary control of the site. The Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and Syriac communities also have a presence there.

Any form of rehabilitation requires an agreement from the six custodian churches. The denominations are very sensitive about renovations being carried out at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and have given workers just 60 hours to finish work at the inner sanctum. Experts are working day and night to reach the core of the tomb of Jesus Christ and complete their research.

[Featured Image by Kevin Frayen/AP Images]

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