An excavation at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem uncovered evidence that might confirm the tradition that Jesus was crucified and buried at the site.
Archaeological work at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre resumed at the end of the month after a pause taken to preserve access during Holy Week and Easter. The pause followed challenges in excavation and restoration that required approval from the three central religious communities managing the church and a license from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The excavation started in 2022.
A team of researchers from Sapienza University of Rome discovered remains of a plant dated to the time of Jesus’ death in the spring of 33 CE. The remains might be the same as the one mentioned in John 19:41. In that passage it was written: "Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There they laid Jesus."
"The Gospel mentions a green area between the Calvary and the tomb, and we identified these cultivated fields," said Francesca Romana Stasolla, lead archaeologist, according to a report by The Times of Israel. "We are conducting geological analysis to verify the origin of the marble, and we are also testing the mortar. Both tests can give us important information. We only have a part of the northern aisle left to excavate," said Stasolla, according to a report by the New York Post. "Whether someone believed in the historicity of the Holy Sepulchre or not, the fact that generations of people did was objective. The history of the place was the history of Jerusalem, and at least from a certain moment, it was the history of the worship of Jesus Christ," said Stasolla, according to the New York Post. "The real treasure we are revealing is the history of the people who made this site what it is by expressing their faith here," she added.
In addition to the botanical and geological findings, researchers uncovered marble tombs on the church compound that appeared to be connected to Joseph of Arimathea, the biblical figure believed to have provided the burial plot for Jesus. Stasolla said she planned to test the marble tombs further to gain additional information about Jesus’ death.
Other discoveries by the research team also seemed connected to Jesus. The findings occurred amid a long-standing scholarly and public debate over the location of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. Many experts believed that the site on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem—a church built in the 4th century CE that attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year—was the location of these events. Additional evidence supported the theory that the church played a role in the history of Jesus.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.