The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem hosts the burial place of Jesus Christ.
(Mirror Daily, United States) One of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring sites on Earth is Jesus’ burial place in Jerusalem. Experts had the chance of opening the tomb for the first time in hundreds of years. The presumed burial place is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Christian tradition says that Jesus Christ was buried in a limestone grave, on a stone bed. The Romans sentenced the son of God to death by crucifixion. However, both the body and the spirit elevated to Heaven, and no remains were found by the women who came to the grave to mourn his death.
On the spot of the humble grave, a church was built. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem also contains the place of the crucifixion, called the Calvary or Golgotha. The bed on which Jesus Christ was laid after crucifixion was later surrounded by a small enclosure, called the Edicule.
Opening the burial place of Jesus Christ is an opportunity for archaeologists to understand better the Christianity’s grounds. The church built around it has been hiding ancient secrets. The researchers hope to unveil them and get precise information on how the humble grave used to look like back in the times when it was only carved in stone.
The Edicule is currently being restored by a team of specialists. The revealing of the original burial place of Jesus Christ meant removing the marble and other building material used for the surface edifice. It was under these layers were the shelf bed on which Jesus’ body rested for three days after the crucifixion was, according to tradition.
After removing the superior layers of material, the researchers discovered the stone bed. According to their measurements, it stands at three by five feet, and it is made of marble. It has a light color.
Six Christian groups are in charge of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Orthodox Greeks, the Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church among them.
The holy site has a rich cultural and spiritual history. The Edicule survived a damaging fire at the beginning of the ninetieth century. It was also affected by a massive earthquake in the 1920s. However, periodic restore actions kept the site in good conditions.
The site was discovered and identified as the burial place of Jesus Christ by Roman Empress Helena, in A.D. 326. Ever since the place stands as one of the holy centers of the Christian religion.
Image courtesy of: Flickr