The Tomb of Jesus
I. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in 326 AD by the Emperor Constantine on a site
that is believed to encompass Golgotha, or Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb
(sepulchre) where he was buried. This church has been an important pilgrimage destination
since the 4th century.
A chapel is built around what is believed to be the “Rock of Calvary” on which Christ was
crucified. It is considered the place where the cross was placed. The rock can be viewed under
glass on either side of the central altar, and the site of the Crucifixion can be touched under the
central altar.
The “Edicule” preserves the location of Christ's tomb. The “Stone of Unction” is believed to
be the actual stone slab Jesus’ body was laid on when it was prepared for burial.
The best piece of evidence that the tomb of Jesus was in this area is the fact that other firstcentury tombs are still preserved inside the church. Called the “Tomb of Joseph of
Arimathea,” these burial shafts are clearly from the time of Christ's death.
Based on the above factors, the Oxford Archaeological Guide to the Holy Land concludes:
“Is this the place where Christ died and was buried? Very probably, yes.”
Israeli scholar Dan Bahat, former City Archaeologist of Jerusalem, has said this of the church:
“We may not be absolutely certain that the site of the Holy Sepulchre Church is the site of
Jesus' burial, but we have no other site that can lay a claim nearly as weighty, and we really
have no reason to reject the authenticity of the site.”
II. Jeremiah’s Grotto
In 1878 Captain Conder, in his “Tent Work in Palestine,” stated his conviction that the real
site of Calvary was to be found on a rocky knoll outside the northern wall and close to the cave
known as “Jeremiah's Grotto.” It is just “without the gate” now called the Damascus Gate,
and is a rocky precipice of about fifty feet high, at a distance of five hundred feet from the city
wall. The top of the knoll is rounded and dome-like, and is one hundred and ten feet higher than
the Sacred Rock of the Temple, of whose enclosure it commands a view. The adoption of this
site by Dr. Chaplin, Dr. Merill, and by the late General Gordon as the site of the cruxifixion,
has helped to give it considerable popularity (Jerusalem, Bethany, and Bethlehem, p. 16667).
In 1881 it was found that a Jewish tomb existed on a smaller knoll west of the north road, about
two hundred yards from the top of the first-mentioned knoll (“Survey of Western Palestine,”
Jerusalem volume, p. 432). (Source: Jerusalem, Bethany, and Bethlehem, p.166).
Of this tomb Captain Conder writes: “The whole is very rudely cut in the rock, which is of
inferior quality. The doorway is much broken, and there is a loophole or window, four feet
wide, on either side of the door. The outer court, cut in the rock, is seven feet square; and two
stones are so placed in this as to give the idea that they may have held in place a rolling-stone
before the door. On the right is a side entrance, leading into a chamber with a single loculus.
The chamber within the tomb entrance is reached by a descent of two steps, and measures six
feet by nine feet. From either side wall and from the back wall is an entrance leading into a
side chamber. A passage runs in continuation of each entrance, and on each side is a bench
about two and a half feet wide by two and a quarter high.”
Captain Conder continues, after stating his view that the adjoining mound was the place of
public execution: “It would be bold to hazard the suggestion that the single Jewish sepulchre
thus found is indeed the tomb in the garden, nigh unto the place called Golgotha; yet its
appearance so near the old place of execution and so far from other tombs in the old
cemeteries of the city is extremely remarkable.” (Jerusalem, Bethany, and Bethlehem, p.
166)
Haskett Smith sums up the reasons in favor of Jeremiah's Grotto as follows: First, he claims
the tomb here has never been finished and yet has been occupied. Second, it was constructed
about the time of Christ, being Herodian in character. Third, it has been occupied for one
burial, and one burial only. Fourth, it was originally intended for a Jew, and that a rich and
influential one. Fifth, though built for a Jew, it was an object of sacred reverence to the early
Christians, for it has been used as a place for Christian worship, and is surrounded by Christian
tombs. Sixth, it occupies a position with regard to the hill opposite it which accords with the
Gospel narratives. Seventh, the frescoed cross with the sacred monograms still faintly to be
traced on the east wall, and evident of an age almost, if not quite, co-equal with the first
century, connects the tomb most intimately with Christ. (Earthly Footsteps of the Man of
Galilee, pp. 255-56.)
III.
The Garden Tomb
The Garden Tomb, originally discovered in 1867, is an alternative to the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre as the actual site of Jesus' burial.
While visiting Jerusalem in 1883-1885, General Charles Gordon spied (though he wasn’t the
first to do so) a prominent rocky crag which looked to him like it could be the “place of the
skull” mentioned in the Bible as where Jesus was crucified. As early as 1842, a man named
Otto Thenius proposed that this rocky outcrop outside the walls was Calvary (Golgotha), “The
place of the skull.”
Around the corner Gordon identified an ancient tomb and putting the two together he located
the hill of crucifixion and the nearby burial place.
It must be noted that while the Bible locates the crucifixion at the “place of the skull,” it never
says that it was on a hill, or that this place bore the resemblance of a skull. The tomb is the
place believed by many to be the resting place of Jesus.
The Garden Tomb itself was discovered in 1867, and was soon identified as the burial place of
Jesus, mainly because of its location in the area that had been identified as Calvary.
However, scholars are generally agreed that the Garden Tomb is not the actual site of Jesus'
burial. According to Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, “there is no possibility that it is in fact the
place where Christ was buried.” Holy Land specialist Dr. Carl Rasmussen comments, “it is my
opinion that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher preserves a more accurate tradition.”
One problem with the Garden Tomb is that, based on its configuration, it dates from the late
Old Testament era (9th-7th century BC). Thus it was not a "new tomb" (Matt 27:60; John
19:41) at the time of the crucifixion.
In addition, the burial benches were cut down in the Byzantine period (4th-6th century AD) to
create rock sarcophagi, radically disfiguring the tomb. This clearly indicates that early
Christians did not believe this was the burial place of Christ.
The site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on the other hand, seems to have attracted
Christian devotion since before Constantine.
IV.
What to see at The Garden Tomb
At “Gordon's Calvary,” the shape of a skull, at least large eye sockets, can be discerned (some
say) in the side of the cliff. This rocky escarpment was used as a rock quarry, perhaps during
the time of Herod Agrippa I (37-44 AD).
The garden tomb itself is located about 100 yards west of the “skull.” The tomb is marked by
multilingual signs and a wooden door bearing the English words, “He is not here - for He is
risen.”
The door and windows in the tomb facade probably date from Byzantine or Crusader times. The
deep channel along the ground is identified as the groove for the rolling stone used to seal the
tomb. However, it is of unknown date and purpose.
Inside the tomb there are two chambers side by side. From the vestibule, one turns right to enter
the burial chamber. This configuration is typical of 9th-7th century (Iron Age) tombs in the
area. Tombs from the time of Jesus have the burial chamber behind the vestibule in a straight
line, and each body bench set within an arch. In the Garden Tomb, the body benches simply
extend from the wall.
The body benches were carved down by Byzantine Christians to use as rock sarcophagi; this
can still be seen. In the Middle Ages, the Crusaders lowered the rock surface in front of the
tomb, built vaults against it, and used the site as a stable.
While not all archaeologists agree about its date, many have described “The Garden Tomb” as
a Jewish tomb of the 1st century A.D. In later years it was probably used for Christian worship.
There are indications of a church structure, including early Christian crosses.
The Garden includes a tomb, a site for Golgotha, a winepress, and a water cistern. Matthew
27:59-60: “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own
new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to
the tomb and went away.” John 19:41 – “At the place where Jesus was crucified there was
a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.”
The archaeological evidence found here indicates that this vineyard's owner was a wealthy man.
His tomb was cut out of solid rock, with a large weeping chamber, and a channel for a rolling
stone. It is remarkable that all the features mentioned in the biblical account of Joseph's tomb
can be seen at the Garden Tomb.
Also, inside the sepulchre there are several crosses painted in red, the one of the East wall
appears plainly, accompanied by the Greek letters, 'Alpha and Omega.' These crosses were
placed there by the early Christians, because the tomb has been sealed by dirt and debris since
the first century.