Restoration uncovers ‘past life’ of the Holy Church of the Sepulchre

A restoration of the stone floors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre* in Jerusalem has uncovered an ancient landscape beneath what has long been regarded by many religious scholars as the tomb of Jesus.

Archaeologists from the La Sapienza University of Rome have uncovered evidence to suggest the site was originally a rough-cut Iron Age* quarry.

“(This find) does not surprise us, because a vast part of the Old City of Jerusalem stands on a quarry,” La Sapienza University Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla told the Times of Israel.

The dig suggests that once used up, the quarry was divided into small irregular plots separated by stone retaining walls. These were filled with soil, which was found to contain pieces of olive wood, grape vines, figs and cereals.

The materials have not yet been carbon dated* to determine their age.

“We have found evidence of a funerary landscape, alongside small areas planted with vines and olive trees,” said Prof Stasolla.

Among the basilica’s* foundations, a cache* of coins was found, ranging from the era of Emperor Constantius II (337-361AD) to Emperor Valens (374-378AD).

The team also found what they believed could be the remnants of Emperor Constantine’s* original tomb marker: a circular marble slab.

This slab was found directly beneath the existing Aedicule* (a shrine marking the supposed location of Jesus’s tomb).

“It is interesting because the most ancient depictions of the aedicule, which date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, describe it as circular,” the professor said.

The excavations, now in their final stages, are linked to a comprehensive restoration of the stone floors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Preliminary results from the research team have been published by the archaeological journal Liber Annuus.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

The findings give weight to the account of Emperor Constantine ordering the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the 4th Century.

After converting to Christianity, the Emperor had sent his mother Helen on a holy mission to find the tomb of Jesus and the site of his crucifixion.

After finding remarkable relics, such as “the True Cross”, and what she believed was the site of Jesus’s empty tomb, Helen, later to be revered as a Saint, helped validate her son’s objectives in creating a unified Christian “canon*” to standardise the religion.

Emperor Hadrian had built a pagan temple on the site of the purported tomb and crucifixion in about 135 CE in order to suppress early Christianity. His rule had also sought to suppress the idea of Jerusalem and Judea after the failed Third Jewish Revolution of 132 to 136AD.

After finding what she believed was the tomb of Jesus underneath this Roman temple, Helen had the pagan structure demolished.

Her son, Emperor Constantine, then recycled the temple rubble into a basilica centred over one of the old tombs exposed in the bedrock beneath.

This work was completed in 335AD. It’s been known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (stone tomb) ever since.

Scarce evidence exists of a historical Jesus. The Roman historian Josephus makes a passing mention in his accounts, as does the later Roman historian Tacitus in 105AD.

There are also conflicting accounts of his tomb in the New Testament.

The books of Mark, Matthew and John describe it as being cut from rock. Matthew and John suggest it was part of a garden, with Matthew also suggesting it was part of an established graveyard. John and the Hebrew record place the site outside the city gates, near the crucifixion site.

Regardless of differing religious beliefs, the findings have shed new light on the history of Christianity and the figures who helped shape it.

“The history of this place is the history of Jerusalem,” Professor Stasolla said, “and at least from a certain moment, it is the history of the worship of Jesus Christ.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• Church of the Holy Sepulchre: a church built on the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The church is in the northwestern corner of the old city of Jerusalem and was first built by Emperor Constantine in about 336 CE before being destroyed and rebuilt twice over the next 700 years. A general rebuilding was carried out by the Crusaders in the 12th Century, with regular restoration taking place ever since. According to Britannica, the current church dates mainly to 1810. While the site has been widely recognised as the site of Jesus’ tomb and crucifixion since the 4th Century, whether or not it is the actual location continues to be debated among Christian scholars due to a lack of hard evidence either way
• Iron Age: in Jerusalem, this was about 1150–586 BCE
• carbon dated: a way of measuring the age of an organic object by measuring how much radioactive carbon-14 is left in it
• basilica: an early type of Christian church that has the style of a large, Roman building
• cache: a secret store
• Emperor Constantine: the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. He also decriminalised Christianity in the Roman Empire, ceasing Christian persecution, before making it the main religion of Rome
• aedicule: a small shrine that resembles a temple
• canon: an official rule, standard or body of works within a religion

EXTRA READING

Oldest written record of Jesus’ childhood

Piece of Jesus’ manger home for Christmas

Gen Alpha gets its first teen saint

QUICK QUIZ

1. What was found under the foundations of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
2. Why were archaeologists digging there?
3. When was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre commissioned to be built?
4. Which two sacred sites do Christians claim the church contains?
5. What was demolished in order for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be built?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Ancient coins
The Kids News article states that archaeologists found coins from the time of 337-378AD.

Why are coins useful to archaeologists?

What information can coins provide?

Why might finding several coins help establish a timeline?

Design your own imaginary ancient coin giving clues as to what historians could learn from it if found in thousands of years time.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What is the difference between an archaeologist and a historian? Talk with a partner and discuss the job differences.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.