An archaeological breakthrough at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem may provide new evidence supporting the Biblical account of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
Researchers uncovered remnants of an ancient garden beneath the church’s foundation, aligning with the Gospel of John’s description of a green area near the crucifixion and burial site. John 19:41 states: “Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus.”
A team from Sapienza University of Rome analyzed plant remains from the site, dating them to the pre-Christian era, around the time of Jesus’ death, generally believed to be 33 AD. The excavation revealed evidence of olive trees and grapevines, though radiocarbon testing is still underway.
Lead archaeologist Francesca Romana Stasolla told The Times of Israel that their findings match the Gospel’s account: “The Gospel mentions a green area between the Calvary and the tomb, and we identified these cultivated fields.”
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visited by around four million people annually, was commissioned by Roman Emperor Constantine in 335 AD on the site of a former Roman temple. During construction, a tomb believed to be Jesus’ was uncovered. The new excavations, launched in 2022 during renovations, also revealed layers of ancient Jerusalem’s history, including quarries, pottery, lamps, and rock-cut tombs.
According to Stasolla, Constantine deliberately built the church over Jesus’ tomb to isolate it from surrounding burials. Archaeologists also uncovered a circular marble base beneath the shrine encasing what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus. Tests are planned to confirm its origin and age.
This discovery adds to the long-standing debate over the true location of Jesus’ burial. Many scholars favour the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, while others argue the Garden Tomb fits biblical descriptions better.
In addition to the garden evidence, archaeologists in 2024 also rediscovered a missing altar within the church. The intricately decorated marble slab, linked to papal Rome’s Cosmatesque masters, was believed to have been consecrated in 1149 but lost after a fire in the 1800s.
The combined discoveries continue to shed light on the church’s layered history and its connection to Christianity’s most sacred traditions.
