Jesus’ burial slab uncovered for the first time in centuries

November 1, 2016 | 5:25pm


A Franciscan friar looks at the exposed Tomb of Jesus.
Photo: Getty Images

New photos show the historic limestone slab where the body of Jesus is believed to have been laid out after his crucifixion.

The burial slab inside the chamber of Jesus’s tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem has not been seen since at least 1555 AD, when it was encased by layers of marble.

Last week, the burial tomb was opened and the marble covering the original surface removed by a conservation team from the National Technical University of Athens. Researchers had 60 hours of access to the tomb before it was resealed.

“I’m absolutely amazed. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn’t expecting this,” said Fredrik Hiebert the archaeologist-in-residence for National Geographic, which had exclusive access to the restoration project at the church.

“We can’t say 100 percent, but it appears to be visible proof that the location of the tomb has not shifted through time, something that scientists and historians have wondered for decades.”

The research team found the limestone “burial bed” after hours of extensive examination. As researchers continued their work, they discovered another marble slab with a cross carved into its surface, according to National Geographic.

“This is the Holy Rock that has been revered for centuries but only now can actually be seen,” said Chief Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou, who is heading the conservation and restoration of the small structure containing the tomb known as the Edicule.

Researchers findings showed that portions of the tomb are still intact and managed to survive centuries of damage at one of the world’s most sacred sites in Christianity.

A National Geographic film crew has been documenting the restoration process at the church.




Greek preservation experts work to strengthen the Edicule surrounding the Tomb of Jesus.

Photo: Getty Images





The tomb has been resealed in its original marble, and it may not be reopened again for centuries. But the shrine will be documented and examined for at least another five months, according to National Geographic.

According to Christian tradition, the body of Jesus was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion more than 2,000 years ago. Christians believe he then resurrected after death.

The women who came to anoint his body three days after burial found the tomb empty, according to the Bible.

“We may not be absolutely certain that the site of the Holy Sepulchre Church is the site of Jesus’s burial, but we certainly 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,” said Dan Bahat, a former city archaeologist of Jerusalem, according to National Geographic.

http://nypost.com/2016/11/01/jesus-b...-in-centuries/