Astounding discovery first reported by the National Geographic.
In what could be called the greatest excavation in the history of Christianity, a group of scientists has exposed the original surface of what is traditionally considered the tomb of Jesus Christ.
The exposure will give the scientists an opportunity to conduct a detailed study on the tomb which is considered to be the most sacred place by Christians all over the world, reported National Geographic.
The tomb is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. The tomb has been covered by marble cladding which was laid centuries before, according to experts.
“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,” he added.
The body of Jesus Christ was laid on a shelf or “burial bed” hewn from the side of a limestone cave after his crucifixion. The shelf is now covered by a small structure known as the Edicule.
Along with the excavation process, the Edicule and the interior tomb are being strengthened by a team of scientists from the National Technical University of Athens.
“We are at the critical moment for 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 Christ,” said Chief Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou who is heading the team restoring the tomb.
Six Christian sects have control over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at present, with primary control held by the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. The Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syrian communities also have control over the church.
The project, costing more than $4 million, started in March 2016 after the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with the agreement of the other two major communities, invited the National Technical University of Athens to conduct a study on the Edicule.
2 Comments
Prehistoric fairy tale
Should be some DNA in there. If anyone of it is only half human, then we know we have the right party spot.