Jesus Christ's grave opens for the first time in centuries
As you may know, the place where believers believe that Jesus was buried in Jerusalem after the crucifixion became one of the holiest places in Christendom. The grave - empty, of course, since, according to Christian tradition, Christ was raised on Easter Sunday - is in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, a religious temple with an incredible history.
Sacred Temple Construction
When Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70 AD, Hadrian, the Roman emperor then, ordered that during the reconstruction of the city, the site identified as the tomb of Jesus be covered with earth and a temple dedicated to Venus was built in your place. The persecution of Christians did not begin until the end of the 4th century, when Constantine, another Roman emperor, issued the Edict of Tolerance.
For Constantine's mother, Helena, was a Christian and went to Jerusalem for the purpose of locating the places related to the last days of Christ's life. She identified the place of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, and then had the temple of Venus brought down and ordered the construction of a basilica over these sacred sites: the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, founded in 326.
The basilica was partially rebuilt at the request of Justinian a century later and remained standing until the year 1009, when it was almost completely destroyed - along with all the existing churches in Jerusalem - by Caliph Al-Hakim.
The destruction of the churches and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, by the way, was one of the motivations for the beginning of the Crusades - and it was the Crusaders who, in 1099, after reconquering Jerusalem, rebuilt the temple, though only half of its original size. . And this is the basilica that exists today!
Historical opening
According to Christian tradition, the body of Jesus would have been positioned on a limestone carved from the side wall of a cave after he was crucified by the Romans, around the year 30 or (possibly) 33. According to historical records, this burial place was covered with a piece of marble at least in the year 1555, although it may have been centuries earlier.
For according to Kristin Romey of National Geographic, since then, the Holy Sepulcher has never been opened. Now a team of archaeologists has removed the marble piece above the tomb where followers of Christianity believe Christ was buried. The aim of the initiative is to conduct restoration work, as well as a series of tests to try to unravel the mysteries related to the Nazarene's death.
After removing the marble piece - which measures about 90 centimeters by 1.50 meters - and exposing the original grave, the archaeologists were faced with a huge amount of fragments and remains of materials accumulated over the centuries, as well as with a grayish beige stone on its surface of which the origin is not known.
Restoration Required
According to National Geographic personnel, the “stone bed” on which the body of Jesus would have been placed after his death is now protected in the Little House, a chapel - which was renovated after a fire in the century. 19. The structure underwent renovations in 1947 to repair considerable damage sustained during a 1927 earthquake, meaning that the chapel needs a beautiful renovation.
The opening of the tomb is part of a chapel restoration project led by researchers from the National Technical University of Athens, who also conducted restoration work at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Acropolis of Athens. Part of the project is receiving funding from King Abdullah II of Jordan.
In addition, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher is in the custody of six Christian sects - the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, the Armenian Orthodox, the Egyptian Coptic, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox - and is kept safe by guards. Muslims and Jewish policemen!
The scientific work to uncover possible secrets kept in the Holy Sepulcher has just begun. So we will have to wait a little while until the first discoveries begin to be released! But don't worry, as soon as they start to appear, we here at Mega Curioso will share with you!
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