Showing posts with label National Geographic Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Geographic Society. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 October 2016

Marble cladded tomb uncovered

English: Tomb of Jesus, inside the Edicule. Ch...
English: Tomb of Jesus, inside the Edicule. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. Français : La tombe du Christ, église du Saint-Sépulcre, Jérusalem. Română: Mormântul Domnului (Sfântul Mormânt), Ierusalim. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Restorers working in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel uncovered a stone slab venerated as the tomb of Jesus Christ.

Since at least 1555 C.E., and most likely centuries earlier, the tomb has been covered by marble cladding.

Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, a partner in the restoration project was very surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it.
An analysis of the original rock may enable them to better understand not only the original form of the tomb chamber, but also how it evolved as the focal point of veneration since it was first identified by Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, in 326 C.E.. 

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