The Holy Sepulcher

Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And they crucified Him...  (Mark 15:22-24).

Ever since Christian pilgrimage began, almost 1700 years ago, its chief goal has been the place of Jesus' death and resurrection. Until the end of the 19th century, no one questioned where it was. Nor has an acceptable alternative been found. The Garden Tomb, sometimes presented as such, belongs to a series of tombs in the area dating back to the 7th century BC (Barkay). (The others in the series are north of the wall, in the grounds of the Ecole Biblique.) The tomb of Jesus, however, had never been used (Luke 23:53 and John 19:41).   Nevertheless, the garden of the Garden Tomb offers a lovely, quiet place for devotion.

Archaeology helps us to visualize Jesus' death in another respect as well. An ossuary has been found containing the bones of a crucified man. Ordinarily, the relatives removed all the nails, so we can't know that the bones belonged to someone who was crucified. In this case, however, one bent nail proved too difficult. It went through his ankle, and a fragment of olive wood was attached. The wrists, it is thought, were bound by ropes to the crossbeam. Researchers believe the man was sitting on a board. If he had simply hung, as in most representations of Jesus, he would have died quickly by suffocation. The Roman idea was to bring about an excruciating and deterrent death by exposure: to hunger and thirst, to the elements, to the beasts and the birds.

Jerusalem: An Introduction

The Holy Sepulcher: An Introduction

Authenticity of the site

History of the church

Destruction in the 11th Century

The Christian communities at the Church

A visit

Logistics for a visit

© 2003 Near East Tourist Agency (NET)

Text © 2003 Stephen Langfur