What
did the original tomb look like?
 
The Garden Tomb, located
in present-day East Jerusalem, contains an actual ancient rock-cut tomb,
first noticed in 1860. [See photos above.] Visitors can view the
round stone which sealed the tomb and walk inside the tomb as well.
| Brief history of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
is built over the remains of Golgatha, also called Calvary, the hill just
outside of Jerusalem where the Romans crucified Jesus and the location
of the tomb which was very close to Golgatha where the body of Jesus was
laid. After Jesus was buried, the tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman
soldiers. Jesus, rose on the third day, just as he had prophesied,
and appeared to his disciples.
The first Christian community
gathered here for worshipuntil 66 AD when the Romans beseiged Jerusalem
and destroyed it in 70 AD. The emperor Hadrian in 135 built a pagan shrine
over the spot. Constantine built the first church, called "Anastasis" or
"Church of the Resurrection" in 326 A.D. This church was destroyed
by the Persians in 614. It was immediately rebuilt and destroyed
by the Turks in 1009.
The Crusaders rebuilt the
church and the Holy Sepulchre over the site of the tomb 1149 (photo on
right) over the remains which still contain some portions of the original
church. |
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| Pilgrims from every nation
and tradition pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Six Christian groups
occupy the church and offer religious services and liturgies - Latin
Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Syrians, Copts, and Ethiopians. |
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