Jesus burial place exposed for first time in centuries, report

Scientists have uncovered the original surface of what tradition holds is the tomb of Jesus for the first time in centuries, National Geographic reports.

The tomb, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City, has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 CE, and most likely centuries earlier, the report says.

“The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it,” says Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, a partner in the restoration project.

Orthodox Christians hold candles as worshipers gather around the Edicule at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial place of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City, April 7, 2007. (Nati Shohat /Flash90) — Orthodox Christians hold candles as worshipers gather around the Edicule at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial place of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 7, 2007. (Nati Shohat /Flash90)

“It will be a long scientific analysis, but we will finally be able to see the original rock surface on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid,” Hiebert says.

Christian tradition holds that the body of Jesus was placed on a shelf hewn from the side of a limestone cave following his crucifixion by the Romans.