Until restoration work began last week, archeologists did not know whether Jesus’ tomb—purportedly located within Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre—was still intact. But this morning, National Geographic revealed the exciting news that the actual limestone burial bed had been uncovered in its original state.
According to Nat Geo’s Kristin Romey, the bed had been sealed in marble since the mid-16th century, presumably to prevent visitors from removing pieces as relics. Thus, when the lid was removed on October 26, it was the first time anyone alive today had ever seen what lay beneath.
“I’m absolutely amazed. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn’t expecting this,” National Geographic archeologist Fredrick Hiebert stated, according to Romey. “We can’t say 100 percent, but it appears to be visible proof that the location of the tomb has not shifted through time, something that scientists and historians have wondered for decades.”
Although there is controversy surrounding the true location of Jesus’ burial site, many historians are inclined to believe the words of Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, who wrote that a church had been built up to surround the tomb. That church was sacked and destroyed by Muslim raiders in the 11th century, but later rebuilt into the Holy Sepulchre that today’s pilgrims to the Holy Land visit.
The tomb has now been restored and resealed. However, those who were able to catch a glimpse of what lay beneath the church’s floor could not be unmoved. “It’s a very sacred spot, you feel that sacredness when you go into the building and especially into the shrine itself… That feeling of specialness, it just permeates the whole building,” Hiebert reflected.
