Jakarta – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is believed by Christians to be the tomb of Jesus Christ. Over the centuries, this sacred site has suffered destruction due to attacks, fires, and earthquakes.
Before being rebuilt, the tomb was completely destroyed in 1009 AD. This sparked doubts among scholars about the authenticity of the site as the tomb of Jesus.
According to National Geographic, scientific tests in 2017 revealed that the remains of the limestone cave correspond to a tomb discovered by the ancient Romans approximately 17 centuries ago.
The mortar found between the original limestone tomb and the marble covering slab dates back to around 345 AD. Historical records indicate that the tomb was first discovered and commemorated by the Romans around 326 AD.
To date, the oldest architectural evidence found within and around the tomb complex dates back to the Crusades, suggesting the structure is less than 1,000 years old.
In 1980, Dr. James Tabor, a prominent scholar and historian, and retired Professor of Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, claimed to have discovered the original tomb of Jesus. According to his findings, the tomb contained an ancient ossuary with human bones.
His findings also included Greek inscriptions within the tomb that, when translated, read: “Lord, rise up, rise up!” Tabor further asserted that Jesus was buried alongside Mary Magdalene.
However, Tabor’s research faced backlash from Christian clergy, who dismissed the findings as false.
The 2017 research did not definitively confirm whether Jesus was buried at the site. Nonetheless, the discovery date of 326 AD coincides with the reign of Emperor Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome.
From an archaeological standpoint, proving the tomb as the burial place of Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified in Jerusalem, is challenging. According to New Testament accounts, the crucifixion occurred around 30 or 33 AD.
The tomb was opened for the first time in centuries in October 2016 during a major restoration of the shrine (known as the Edicule) by an interdisciplinary team from the National Technical University of Athens.
The findings underwent extensive research on soil materials, the original rock surface, the age of the sarcophagus, and its geographical location, which aligns with records from Christian scripture and the Jewish Torah.
The tomb has been sealed with marble walls since at least 1555 AD to prevent pilgrims from taking pieces of the original stone as souvenirs.
During the Edicule’s restoration, scientists determined that much of the burial cave remains sealed within the shrine’s walls. Mortar samples from the southern wall of the cave were dated to 335 and 1570 AD, corroborating Roman-era construction and documented 16th-century renovations.
Mortar from the tomb’s entrance was dated to the 11th century, consistent with the Edicule’s reconstruction after its destruction in 1009.
These mortar samples were independently dated in two separate laboratories using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), a technique that determines when quartz sediments were last exposed to light.
The scientific findings were published by Moropoulou and her team in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports in its 2018 edition.
Jesus Christ remains a religious figure whose existence continues to spark endless debates. Many modern scholars believe there is historical evidence supporting his existence, though others remain skeptical due to a lack of conclusive proof.
Discoveries involving history, archaeology, science, and theology continue to deepen our understanding, but debates about Jesus’ final resting place are expected to persist despite new findings.
