Archaeologists have discovered a long-lost altar at the site where Jesus is believed to have been buried and then brought back to life.
The discovery was made after construction workers turned over a large, graffiti-covered stone slab that was leaning against the wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The stone, 2.4 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, was decorated with ribbon decorations, a Roman custom in the Middle Ages. This led researchers to conclude that it was the altar that was consecrated in 1149. For a long time it was thought that the altar was destroyed in the fire of 1808.
“For historians, this find is a sensation in several respects,” said archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), who made the discovery.
The stone was decorated with ribbon ornaments, a Roman custom in the Middle Ages, allowing researchers to determine that it was the altar consecrated in 1149.
‘First, there is the fact that the slab could have remained hidden for so long in such an intensively researched building as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, especially since it attracted thousands of pilgrims and tourists every day.’
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is considered the site of both the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus. It receives approximately four million visitors each year.
The church, which has a diameter of over 1,650 metres, was built in 335 AD on top of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus.
The construction was carried out on the orders of the Roman Emperor Constantine I. During the renovation, a tomb was discovered which is believed to be the tomb of Jesus, who had died almost 300 years earlier.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been attacked throughout the centuries. In 614 it was destroyed by the Persian army, in 1009 it was almost completely destroyed and in the 19th century it caught fire. It is believed that the altar was lost at that time.
The discovery was made after construction workers turned over a giant stone slab with graffiti that was leaning against the wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revealing a much older artistic heritage
The church was built on a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus in 335 AD. It was built by order of the Roman Emperor Constantine I and during the conversion a tomb was discovered which is believed to be that of Jesus, who died almost 300 years earlier
Tourists have long sprayed graffiti on the front of the slab, which may be why it went unnoticed for centuries.
The special decorations on the wall side led the researchers to the so-called ‘Cosmatesque statue’.
“This special production technique for marble decoration was practiced exclusively by guild masters in papal Rome, who passed the skill down from generation to generation,” the team said.
‘A characteristic feature of this technique was the ability of the masters to decorate large surfaces with small amounts of precious marble.
‘In medieval Rome, marble was mainly extracted from old buildings. This meant that the Cosmatesque masters had to make the best possible use of the marble they could find.
‘Their solution was to glue together small pieces of marble with the greatest precision, attaching them to each other in such a way that complex geometric patterns and beautiful ornaments were created.’
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre site in Jerusalem is considered the site of both the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus, and attracts approximately four million visitors each year
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, is one of the holiest and most special sites in Christianity
Cosmatesque works of art are considered very valuable by the Pope. Rarely have such works of art been found outside Rome. In Westminster Abbey, there is even only one example found outside Italy.
“The Cosmatesque Altar now rediscovered in Jerusalem must also have been made with the Pope’s blessing,” the researchers said.
‘By sending one of the Cosmatesque masters to the Kingdom of Jerusalem to create the new high altar in the holiest church in Christendom, the pope supported Christianity’s claim to the city.’
The renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ongoing, creating historical treasures.
In 2016, a restoration team from the National Technical University of Athens discovered a limestone tomb slab in Jesus’ tomb, which had been covered with layers of marble since at least 1555.
The renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ongoing, which has yielded historical treasures such as crosses etched into the walls
Archaeologists revealed in 2021 that the carvings were made by 15th-century stonemasons paid by pilgrims seeking extra insurance for their salvation.
According to Christian tradition, after Christ’s crucifixion, the body of Christ was placed by the Romans on a slab carved out of a limestone cave.
According to Scripture, he was raised to life three days after his death. The women who came to anoint his body said that no remains were found.
The evidence for this is not definitive, but according to Dan Bahat, a former district archaeologist in Jerusalem and the Galilee.
“We may not be completely certain that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the site of Jesus’ burial, but we certainly know of no other site that can make such a strong claim. We therefore have no reason to deny the authenticity of the site,” Bahat said.
Dozens of crosses were discovered littering the walls of the church. 2018, which were believed to be graffiti artwork by the Crusaders.
After a more thorough analysis, archaeologists discovered in 2021 that the sculptures were made in the 15th century by stonemasons paid by pilgrims seeking additional insurance for their salvation.
