A Peek into Jesus's Tomb after $ 4 million Restoration

Edit By: Bachchan Kujur
Mar 22, 2017
2 min read

(The Edicule, the ancient structure which according to Christian belief is where Jesus’s body was anointed and buried)

The newly-restored tomb in which Jesus’s body is believed to have been interred after his crucifixion is to be unveiled to the public at a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday (22 March 2017).

A team of Greek scientists and restorers has completed the nine-month renovation project, which focussed on a small structure above the burial chamber, known as the Edicule. It is the most sacred monument in Christianity.

The delicate restoration was carried out by a team of about 50 experts from the National Technical University of Athens. In October, 2016 a marble slab covering the rock-carved tomb was lifted for the first time in more than two centuries, allowing restoration workers to examine the original rock shelf or “burial bed” on which Jesus’s body is thought to have rested.

A small window has been cut into the marble slabs of the burial chamber of Jesus’s tomb for pilgrims to see what is believed to be the original stone wall of the burial cave.

(A portion of what is believed to be the original stone wall of the burial cave)

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the heart of the Christian quarter of the walled Old City, covers the assumed site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. It is a huge attraction for pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.

Six denominations – Latin (Roman Catholic), Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Syrian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox and Copts – share custodianship of the cavernous church. Bitter disputes over territories and responsibilities have erupted in the past, sometimes involving physical altercations. Disputes between the denominations have held up restoration work for decades. In a sign of the distrust between the different Christian denominations, the keys to the church have been held by a Muslim family since the 12th century.

The shrine has been rebuilt four times in its history, most recently in 1810 after a fire. The structure had been held in place for almost 70 years by iron girders erected on the instructions of a British governor who ruled Palestine in the Mandate era. They have now been removed.

The $4m (£3.2m) cost of the restoration came from contributions from the six denominations which share custody of the church, King Abdullah of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Mica Ertegun, the widow of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who gave $1.3m.