Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

 

Introduction

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Welcome to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The evidence is overwhelming that this is the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead. This is the most significant event in Christian history.

 

We will explore all the evidence and witness this monumental event. There are two main sites here that we'll see: (1) Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified, and (2) the tomb where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead.

 

May the significance of this place move you as you reflect on what Christ did here for you and for everyone else. Its role in God's master plan of salvation cannot be overstated.

 

Location

 

1. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located about 450 yards (415 m.) west of the Temple Mount.

 

2. It was located outside the city walls during the time of Christ.

 

3. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to be the place where Christ was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead.

 

4. It is the ending place of the Via Dolorosa path, and the last five stations are located there.

 

5. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most important holy site in Christianity and is visited by over one million pilgrims every year.

 

Historical Background

 

1. The place of Calvary was once a stone quarry that supplied stone for the building of the temple and so forth.

 

2. During Christ's time, there was a gate to Jerusalem called the Gennath Gate, which means garden gate. This gate was discovered recently. It is in a slightly different location than the Jerusalem model, which was built before the gate was discovered.

 

Josephus also mentions this gate in his historical writings. There was a road that passed by the stone quarry, serving as a route for travelers entering and leaving Jerusalem. Because the quarry had fallen out of use many years before Christ, it gradually developed into a garden, with a nearby cistern and pool of water. Some of the rock was left, and the Romans crucified people upon it. This rock can be seen in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre today. It was an ideal place because it was just outside the city and located on a well-traveled road. The Romans crucified people in the most visible places possible so all would learn what would happen to them if they disobeyed Roman laws. There were also tombs in the rock faces that were used for burials.

 

Scripture states in John 19:20 that the place of crucifixion was near the city of Jerusalem, so this place fits the biblical narrative well: Therefore, many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek.

 

Substantial remains of the First Wall have been found in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. In these latter excavations, the remains of the Gennath (Garden) Gate and the beginning of what is believed to be the Second Wall have been found, just where Josephus described them as being (cf. War 5.146). 

 

The name "Garden Gate" indicates that a garden must have been located nearby. However, this garden wasn't like a flower garden; it was a farming garden for raising crops. Excavations below the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer reveal that this area was once an ancient quarry, which was later abandoned.

 

A layer of new farming soil has been discovered under the Church of the Redeemer, indicating that it was once a garden area. The excavators believe that the area was filled with fertile soil, presumably to transform the unsightly quarry remains into a small garden for farming.

 

An additional area near the rock quarry was converted into a cistern as the city expanded.

 

From the Gospels, we know that Jesus was crucified in a place called "Calvary" and buried in a garden that was in the same place as Joseph of Arimathea's tomb. The front wall of the tomb faced east, allowing the early morning sun to illuminate it. According to Hebrews 13:12, Jesus was crucified outside the city.

 

Some people have a problem with the proximity of the place where Jesus was crucified and his tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, John 19:41 states, "Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid." So, Scripture clearly indicates that the crucifixion and the tomb were close to each other.

 

3. According to tradition, the early Christian community of Jerusalem worshiped at this site of the crucifixion from the time of the resurrection until 135 AD, when Emperor Hadrian destroyed and rebuilt Jerusalem. Visiting the burial sites of rabbis was a common practice that is still done to this day by the Jews. Therefore, it is clear that the early Christians would have visited the place where Christ died and rose again as well. No one was like Jesus, so His followers knew exactly where Golgotha was and venerated it. There is no way this spot would have been lost or forgotten by them.

 

For example, shortly after the resurrection of Christ, the Upper Room was converted into a church, and the apse (which is a half-round circle with a dome shape) pointed toward the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection place of Christ. This provides significant evidence that this place was venerated and visited early on after Christ's resurrection. Because this place was so important, the apse of the Upper Room Church pointed toward it and not the temple. 

 

Another interesting fact is that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre also contains burial tombs that date back to the time of Christ. They are of the type that were used from about 37 BC to around 70 AD. These tombs clearly indicate that this area had tombs and was outside the City of Jerusalem during the time of Christ, as regular people were not buried within the city.

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Lastly, during this period, from the time of Christ to 132 AD, a carving with an ancient Latin description was found here. It says, "Yes, Lord! We will go." This shows that early Christians venerated this place.

 

4. About 10 years after the crucifixion of Christ, a wall was built by King Agrippa I that enclosed the area of Christ's execution and burial within the city. This accounts for why the Holy Sepulchre is located inside the Old City walls of Jerusalem today. 

 

5. The next major event that affected the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Christ was a major Jewish rebellion against the Romans called the Bar Kokhba revolt around 132 AD. Due to the revolt, the Roman Emperor Hadrian destroyed much of Jerusalem and altered its orientation. He renamed the city Aelia Capitolina and the country to Palestine, which was a Philistine name. Aelia is derived from the emperor’s family name, and Capitolina refers to the cult of the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva).

 

He desired to erase the Jewish connection to the land because of the Jews' continual rebellions and uprisings. He constructed a main street that ran north and south, called the Cardo Maximus (meaning "heart" or "center"). He also desecrated the place of the crucifixion and resurrection that had been venerated by early Christians, and in its place, he built a large platform that filled in the quarry and erected upon it a large temple. Hadrian erected a statue of the Roman god Jupiter (Zeus) over the tomb of Jesus, and a statue of Venus (Aphrodite) over the site of His crucifixion. Hadrian was so intent on destroying any connection to the land by the Jews and the Christians that he buried all the evidence of the crucifixion and tomb of Christ under a platform that housed his large temple to Venus. Hadrian laid out the new City of Jerusalem so that the major streets led to his temple to Venus, which again were over the remains of the crucifixion and tomb of Christ.

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Coins have been discovered that depict the image of the temple that Hadrian built to Venus.

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Melito of Sardis in 160 AD. The most compelling, and indeed the earliest witness to the local memory of the site of Jesus’ death and burial, comes through the testimony of Melito of Sardis. Melito was a very important figure in the history of the church, as he was the first to compile the Christian Canon of the Old Testament. In fact, he is the one who coined the term “Old Testament.” Melito affirms that the location of Golgotha was where Hadrian built a temple to the false god Venus.

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Origen of Alexandria (185 – 254 AD) is also an eyewitness to the location of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the site of Golgotha.

 

Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, Israel, who lived from 260 to 339 AD, provided a chronological account of the development of Early Christianity from the 1st century to the 4th century. He was an eyewitness to some of the events Hadrian did and wrote down what he saw. Regarding the desecration of the crucifixion and tomb of Christ, Eusebius says: "The Romans brought a quantity of earth from a distance with much labor and covered the entire spot and buried it. Then having raised this to a moderate height, they paved it with stone." What he described was the raised platform Hadrian built, upon which he erected his temple to Jupiter and Venus. This platform had retaining walls around it, some of which can still be seen inside the Church today. Additionally, some of the stairs leading up to the Temple of Hadrian can still be seen today in the lower part of the church to the east.

 

Eusebius goes on to say, "The monument of his most holy passions so long ago buried beneath the ground." Here, he is describing the place where the crucifixion and tomb of Christ were buried.
Hadrian also minted a coin depicting the temple he built upon Golgotha. 

 

The temple of Hadrian would remain in place for another 200 years or so until the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

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It is important to note that between 160 and 450 AD, six historians wrote about the location of the crucifixion site, and all of them place this event either under or in the vicinity of Hadrian’s Temple to Venus.

 

6. In 313 AD, a major change happened in the Roman Empire when Constantine legalized Christianity. Later, because his mother was so passionate about Christ, she made a trip to the Holy Land to build churches over the main events of Christ’s life. She built the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives (currently known as the Pater Noster Church), the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Roman Emperor Constantine had the Temple of Hadrian, erected to Jupiter and Venus, demolished to make way for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. During the demolition process, the tomb and crucifixion site of Jesus were uncovered once again, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was subsequently erected. Additionally, Constantine's mother, Helena, is claimed to have discovered the relic of the Cross of Jesus at this time as well. The church was dedicated in 335 AD.

 

The church was laid out in three sections:

 

1: Leading up from the Cardo was the church venerating the crucifixion site, also known as the Basilica of the Martyrium (taken from the word martyr). The apse of the church faced west.

 

2: The courtyard was called the triportico because it had three sides with covered walkways. Just outside the church, and before the mausoleum (with its rotunda dome), was an open courtyard. Just to the left was the crucifixion site of Christ. Now, I should mention that some believe the crucifixion site was located in the apse part of the Basilica of the Martyrium and not in the courtyard. However, the likelihood of the tomb's location and the crucifixion site being exactly aligned is unrealistic. It appears that the building was constructed in this manner for aesthetic reasons, rather than archaeological purposes. The remains of the rock of Golgotha are still preserved today and are located in the place where the courtyard once stood, not in the church itself, specifically in the apse area. 

 

3: Just beyond the open courtyard was the large rotunda covering the tomb of Christ. This is also known as a mausoleum or anastasis. The tomb was initially carved out of the rock and preserved. You can see an example of this in Absalom's Monument in the Kidron Valley. 

 

The crypt, or cistern of the crosses, was under the Basilica of the Martyrium, venerating Golgotha.

 

7. Now, let's see what Jerome says about Hadrian’s temple being located on top of the crucifixion and tomb site of Christ. Jerome lived from 347 to 420 AD. In about 389 AD, he established a monastery at Bethlehem and translated the Hebrew Bible into Latin. Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem, so Jerome was an eyewitness to the events he wrote about.  

 

Here's what Jerome tells us: "From the time of Hadrian to the reign of Constantine, the spot which had witnessed the resurrection was occupied by a figure of Jupiter while on the rock where the cross had stood a marble statue of Venus was set up by the heathen and became an object of worship. The original persecutors indeed suppose that by polluting our holy places, they would deprive us of our faith in the passion and in the resurrection." So Jerome confirms that from the time of Hadrian to Constantine, the temple Hadrian built was located on top of Golgotha.

 

So, in the place where Christ died for the sins of humanity, Hadrian set up a temple to false gods who promoted deep immoral sins. What a contrast.

 

8. Eusebius, whom we referred to earlier, describes the destruction of Hadrian's temple by Constantine: "As soon as his [Constantine's] commands were given, these engines of deceit were cast down from their proud eminence to very ground and the dwelling places of error with the statues and the evil spirits which they represented were overthrown and utterly destroyed. Nor did the Emperor's zeal stop here, but he gave further orders that the materials of what was thus destroyed, both stone and timber should be removed and thrown as far from the spot as possible, and this command also was speedily executed."

 

Eusebius continues: "The emperor, however, was not satisfied with having proceeded thus far, once more fired with holy adjure he directed that the ground itself should be dug up to come to a considerable depth and the soil which had been polluted by the foul impurities of demon worship transported to a far distant place. This also was accomplished without delay, and as soon as the original surface of the ground beneath the covering of the earth appeared, immediately the venerable and Holy Monument of our Savior's resurrection was discovered. Then indeed did the most holy cave [referring to the tomb] present a faithful similitude of his return to life and that after lying buried in darkness, it again emerged to light and afforded to all who came to witness a sight a clear and visible proof of the wonders of which that spot had once been seen, a testimony to the resurrection of the Savior clearer than any voice could give."

 

Eusebius then speaks about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that Constantine built: "Accordingly, on the very spot which witnessed the Savior's suffering, a new Jerusalem was constructed where at the side opposite to the Sepulcher [Jesus's tomb] which was the eastern side, the church itself was erected, a noble work rising to a vast height and a great extent in length and breadth."

 

Eusebius now describes the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Constantine: "Thereupon the Emperor issued sacred edicts, and when he had provided an abundant supply of all the things required for the project, he gave orders that a House of Prayer worthy of God should be erected round about the cave of salvation [he is speaking about the tomb], and on a scale of rich and imperial costliness to be greater than anything else that had been built on earth." So Constantine built a large mausoleum over the tomb's location. A mausoleum is a structure designed for burial or entombment above the ground.

 

9. Another eyewitness account that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was located on the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Christ comes from the Pilgrim of Bardot from 333AD: "On your left is a little hill of Golgotha where the Lord was crucified, about a stone's throw from it is the Crypt where they laid his body and from where he rose again on the third day. These are present by order of Constantine. There has been built a basilica that is a church of wondrous beauty."

 

10. A quote from another pilgrim's account of a worship service in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre comes from 380 AD: "I know you were eager to know about the services they have daily in the holy places, I shall tell you about them. When the first cock has crowed, the bishop straightaway enters and goes into the tomb and the anastasis [anastasis means resurrection and is the round rotunda dome place in the church over the tomb of Christ] and the whole crowd streams into the Anastasis which is already ablaze with many lamps. Then the bishop standing inside the screen takes the gospel and advances to the door of the tomb, where he himself reads the account of the Lord's resurrection. When the gospel is finished, the bishop comes out and is taken with hymns to the cross, and they all go with him to the great church, the martyrium. The people assemble in the great church built by Constantine upon Golgotha."

 

11. Another amazing piece of evidence is found at the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana, which is recognized as the oldest place of Christian worship in Rome. In the apse of the building, which dates to around 400 AD, is a mosaic of Christ with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the background. So, we actually have a photo of what Constantine's Church of the Holy Sepulchre looked like. This is strong evidence of the church's authenticity.

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12. In addition, more substantial evidence supporting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the true site of Golgotha is found in Madaba, Jordan. The Madaba Mosaic Map is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of St. George in Madaba, Jordan. The map is of the Middle East, and part of it shows the oldest surviving original depiction of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. On the map of Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in the center of the city. This reveals that the church existed and was venerated as the site of Jesus' death and resurrection—the map dates to around 550 AD.

 

13. The next significant change to the church occurred during the Persian conquest in 614 AD, when it was pillaged and suffered significant damage. However, the monk Modestus restored it. According to tradition, the relic of the True Cross was also taken during this time and then recovered in 630 AD. 

 

14. In 648 AD, Jerusalem came under Muslim rule, but Christians could still make pilgrimages to the church.

 

15. In 1009 AD, the Muslim Caliph al-Hakim ordered all churches to be destroyed. This proved fatal for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was singled out in particular and destroyed beyond recognition. During the destruction of the church, the tomb of Christ was largely destroyed. However, some of the rock of the tomb and its location were still preserved.

 

16. In 1048 AD, Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople again restored the church at great expense.

 

17. The Crusaders renovated the church in 1112 AD and reconsecrated it in 1149 AD. 

 

Much of what is seen today of the church dates back to the Crusader renovations around 1112 AD, although portions of the original church of Constantine remain. 

 

As 12th-century maps reveal, the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was the spiritual center of Christendom and its most important pilgrimage site. The church was laid out so pilgrims could move from chapel to chapel, culminating in the Holy Sepulchre itself.

 

The church that the Crusaders built included the courtyard where Golgotha was believed to have been, and enclosed everything under one roof within a magnificent cathedral. 

 

The entrance to the church was relocated from the east end to the south side of the building.

 

The Basilica of Helena, accessed from stairs leading downward, was built. This is the place where Helena is believed to have found the true Cross of Christ. It was originally in a hole under the quarry.

 

The entrance to Calvary was located outside the church, with stairs leading upwards to a platform where all the events of the crucifixion were depicted. 

 

The Basilica of the Martyrium was transformed, and all its contents were housed under the cathedral's roof. The apse of the church Constantine built for the crucifixion site faced west; today, it faces east. The sites of the crucifixion and tomb have remained in the same places since the time of Christ. Only the buildings around them have changed.

 

An Edicule was built over Christ's tomb, and within it is the Chapel of the Angels, as well as what remains of Christ's tomb.

 

18. The right-hand door was blocked up after the Muslim reconquest of the city in 1187. Today, the entrance consists of a single large door.

 

19. The three primary custodians of the church were appointed when the Crusaders ruled Jerusalem. They are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic churches. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox also acquired responsibilities, albeit in a smaller capacity. Each church denomination agrees on the times and places of worship.

 

20. A Muslim family has been given the key for opening and closing the church doors since 1187 AD, when Muslims seized control of Jerusalem.

 

21. After a fire, the last significant changes to the church took place around 1808. The Edicule over the tomb was renovated. The central Catholicon was closed, which was once part of the courtyard of Constantine’s church. New stairs leading up to Calvary were changed from outside the church to inside. Today, you enter from just inside the church, turn right, and take steep stairs up to the platform of Calvary. 

 

The Edicule, or tomb of Christ, has been renovated several times since the Crusaders. It suffered an earthquake in 1927 and was subsequently shored up; then, in 2016, it underwent another renovation. 

 

22. Because of all the adornments and construction over the centuries, it is hard to imagine how the site would have looked in Christ's time. However, these 2,000 years of activity and tradition give greater weight to its authenticity. Some people have an adverse reaction to the atmosphere inside the church. However, this is what we should expect from a place that has been venerated for two millennia.

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23. In April of 2022, a stone slab was recently turned over during renovations, and its significance was rediscovered. They identified unique decorations on this stone slab that combine Classical, Byzantine, and early Islamic art, featuring finely cut tiles of colorful marble used to fill in circular engravings on the stone. The stone slab stood at the apex of the sanctuary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This provides further evidence that this site has been revered for millennia as the actual location of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

 

Now, in archaeology, one of the most important factors in locating an authentic site is having one thing built upon another. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has a history spanning approximately 2,000 years. All this provides overwhelming evidence that this is the genuine place where Christ was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead to pay for our sins. All the evidence and historical writings from eyewitnesses provide overwhelming evidence that supports the authenticity of this site.

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24. In conclusion, the true site of Golgotha should have all the evidence of the buildings described by all the eyewitness accounts, should match the historical records, archaeological discoveries, and have these remains visible to some extent today. There is only one place in the world that contains all this evidence, and it's the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The evidence is just so overwhelming that this is the true location of Golgotha. Here is the very place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and risen from the dead. It is, therefore, Christianity's most holy site.

 

Places of Interest

 

1. Window Ladder

• The so-called "Immovable Ladder" under the window of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, made of Lebanese cedar wood, was in place by 1728 and has remained there ever since the 1757 status quo was established, aside from being temporarily moved twice.

• The ladder is referred to as immovable due to the agreement of the Status Quo, which states that no cleric of the six ecumenical Christian orders may move, rearrange, or alter any property without the consent of the other five orders.

• The six churches that oversee the church are:

  • Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic churches are the primary overseers.

  • The Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox churches have less oversight.

 

2. The Chapel of the Franks ~ Via Dolorosa Station 10

• According to Christian tradition, it's where Jesus was stripped of his clothes before crucifixion. This would make sense as the Romans usually crucified people naked.

• It is located to the right of the church entrance. It can be seen behind glass panels by going up the stairs. 

• This place was formerly accessed from inside the church. Today, this door is closed, and the Chapel of the Franks can only be accessed from the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.​​

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3. Stairway Leading to Golgotha

• The place where Jesus was crucified was at the summit of a small hill. To ascend the hill of Golgotha today, you need to start at the entrance of the church, turn right, and climb up the 800-year-old stairs leading to Calvary (or Golgotha), the place where Jesus was crucified.

 

4. Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross ~ Via Dolorosa Station 11

• This is where Jesus was nailed to the Cross.

• It features a 12th-century mosaic of Jesus being nailed to the cross. Here you see Jesus after having been nailed to the cross. Mary is wearing black, indicating that she is in mourning. It seems that the other two people in this mosaic are entirely symbolic. The person bowing before Jesus represents the bride of Christ, the Church, adorned in a pure white robe. The man with the nails is not a soldier because he is dressed in ordinary clothing. 

• Luke 23:33: When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,” they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.

 

5. Rock of Calvary

• The rock of Calvary can be seen under a glass cover on either side of the main altar.

 

6. Crucifixion Altar ~ Via Dolorosa Station 12

• This is where Christ was crucified.

• A silver disk, with a central hole, lies underneath the altar, marking the place where the Cross stood.

• On each side of the altar is the bedrock from the original site of Golgotha.

• Beneath the altar is a hole that permits people to touch the rock of Golgotha.

• John 19:18-19: There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Now Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written: “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

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7. Shrine of Mary ~ Via Dolorosa Station 13

• Between stations 11 and 12 of the Via Dolorosa is a shrine of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with a spear piercing her heart.

• This is also the believed place where the body of Jesus was taken down from the Cross. 

• Luke 2:34-35: And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

 

8. Chapel of Adam

• This chapel enshrines a cracked slab of rock behind glass, which is believed to have been caused by the earthquake after Christ died on the Cross.

• Just outside the chapel, part of the original rock of Golgotha can also be seen.

• Matthew 27:50-53: And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 Also, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

 

9. The Stone of Unction

• Located just after entering the church, it commemorates the preparation of Jesus' body for burial.

• Behind the Stone is a mosaic depicting Christ's anointing for burial.

• Matthew 27:59-60: And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

• Just above the Stone of Unction is a large mosaic showing a timeline of the events of the death, anointing, and burial of Jesus.

 

10. Mourning Place

• An Armenian Shrine, also known as the Chapel of the Three Marys. It marks the place where they watched the crucifixion of Christ.

• John 19:25: Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

 

11. Tomb of Jesus ~ Via Dolorosa Station 14

• Underneath the large dome of the church (Rotunda) is the Tomb of Jesus. It is housed in a large shrine referred to as an Edicule.  

• In the first room of the tomb is a rock in a case on a table. It is believed to be part of the original stone that was rolled to seal the tomb.

• In the second room of the burial tomb is bedrock from the original tomb.

• To the right is the bench where the body of Jesus would have been laid.

• Matthew 27:57-60: Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 

• Matthew 28:5-6: The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

• In 2016, an archaeological team was granted permission to lift the marble slate covering the tomb, and an older marble slab with a carved cross was discovered beneath it. Underneath it was the original limestone burial bed of Christ.

 

12. Coptic Chapel

• Around the back side of the Tomb Edicule is the small Chapel of the Coptic Church – the Orthodox church of Egypt.

• Probably the most interesting aspect of this small chapel is what lies beneath the altar. Under it is an exposed portion of the original rock that surrounded the tomb of Jesus, which Joseph of Arimathea built.

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13. Syrian Chapel ~ First Century Tombs

• The chapel is located within the original 4th-century walls of Constantine's church.

• This room is used every Sunday for worship by the Syrian Orthodox Church, which claims to be the oldest Christian denomination in the world. The Syrian church worships in the first-century language of Aramaic, and its Bible is written in the Syriac language, which is closely related to Aramaic.

• According to tradition, the Apostles Peter and John are considered the founders of the Syrian Church, which originated in the first century in the city of Antioch. It was here, as recorded in Acts 11:26, that the followers of Christ were first referred to as Christians. 

• There are five tombs in this room that date back to the first century. Three of them are blocked, as if they have no significance. A decorative arch surrounds the two open tombs in the middle. That means these tombs were reserved for individuals of special status. 

• It's believed that these were the tombs of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, members of the Jewish ruling council who were secret disciples of Christ, and who laid Him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

 

14. The Catholicon

• It was the central part of the Crusader Church.

• It's the largest chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the main prayer hall of the Greek Orthodox church in Jerusalem.

• At the front of the chapel is a short, rose-colored marble basin containing a circular stone marked with a cross. It’s called the Omphalos, a word that means navel. It has been here for almost 1,000 years.

• The Orthodox Church teaches that the place where Jesus died and rose from the dead is the center of the world. A specific spot, known as the Omphalos, is situated exactly halfway between the cross and the tomb. They believe this spot is the spiritual center of the entire universe.

• This throne, located on the right side of the chapel, is reserved for the priest who oversees the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land. He is called the Patriarch of Jerusalem. 

• The throne on the left side of the chapel is dedicated to the Patriarch of Antioch, a city located in southern Turkey. 

• The lecterns on each side of the chapel are called the Analogion. It is where the priest reads Scripture and leads his congregation in song and holy liturgy during Orthodox worship services.

• The wall in the front of the church is called an iconostasis, or icon stand, and virtually every Greek Orthodox church in the world has one. The iconostasis symbolically separates the main worship hall, which represents all of us on earth, from the sanctuary and the main altar behind the wall, which represents heaven.

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15. Chapel of Mary Magdalene

• In between the rotunda of the church and the Arches of the Virgin is the Roman Catholic Chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene. This chapel is believed to be the site where Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection.

• Above the altar in this chapel is a bronze statue depicting the encounter of Mary Magdalene with Jesus. High on the opposite side is the pipe organ that accompanies the worship services celebrated here.

• The tiles on the floor are new, but they are laid in the same pattern that they were in the 11th century. The circle with the rays represents the location where Jesus stood when He and Mary first encountered each other after His resurrection, and the three concentric circles represent the positions where Mary Magdalene stood when she saw Him.

 

16. Chapel of the Apparition

• It's approximately 1,000 years old and in the custody of the Franciscan Catholic community in Jerusalem. 

• On the front left side of the church, a sculpture depicts Jesus appearing to His mother shortly after His resurrection. This appearance of Jesus to his mother is not recorded in the Bible. It’s a legend that was first mentioned in the third century.

• In this chapel is a column of stone believed by many to be part of the pillar to which Jesus was tied as the Roman soldiers whipped Him. 

• On the far side of this room is a bronze statue on the wall, showing all fourteen stations of the cross – from the point at which Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate to die, to the tomb where He was buried, and from which He rose from the dead.

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17. Arches of the Virgin Mary

• This is a long gallery under the custody of the Franciscan Catholics in the Holy Land. It’s called the Arches of the Virgin because it commemorates the moment Mary visited the tomb of Jesus, where He appeared to her after His resurrection.

• This legendary appearance to Mary is not mentioned in the Bible, but found in historical accounts from two ancient sources from the third century AD.

• The northern wall of this gallery is part of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built by Constantine. There are holes in this wall that once supported large marble panels that adorned the rotunda over the Tomb of Jesus.

 

18. Chapel of the Prison of Jesus

• This chapel is under the authority of the Greek Orthodox Church.

• One of the remnants of this prison was this leg stock, where a prisoner’s legs would have been slipped through these holes, and then shackled at the ankles, so that the prisoner could not escape.

• It is unlikely that this prison existed during the crucifixion of Jesus, as it was located outside the city walls, and there is no mention in the Gospels of Jesus spending time in a prison at Golgotha.

• It is believed that Jesus was imprisoned for the night at the House of the High Priest, Caiaphas. However, not here at Golgotha.

• Today, this prison serves as a commemorative chapel where one can pray and contemplate the imprisonment of Jesus leading up to His crucifixion.

 

19. The Ambulatory

• There is a long, curved hallway that runs around the church behind the main worship hall, the Catholicon. This hallway is called the Ambulatory. When you walk through it, starting from the Chapel of Adam, it is like a little miniature Via Dolorosa. There are three chapels on the right side of this hallway, and they tell the story of Jesus' sufferings in chronological order, from right to left.

  • Chapel of Derision

  • Chapel of the Parting of the Robes

  • Chapel of Longinus

 

​20. Chapel of the Derision

• This place commemorates the people who derided Jesus by mocking and laughing at him while He hung on the Cross.

• The Paintings in the Chapel of the Derision. Each picture is a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy.

  • The picture on the right shows Jesus during one of His trials, where the Jewish rulers are mocking him. This was a fulfillment of verses from Psalm 27 and Psalm 35.

  • The middle picture shows Jesus seated on this granite pillar, with the crown of thorns placed on His head. That was a fulfillment of prophecies in Psalms 35, 69, and Isaiah 50.

  • The picture on the left shows Jesus walking through a crowd that is jeering and yelling at Him. That is a fulfillment of verses from Psalm 7 and Isaiah 53.

• Matthew 27:39-44: And those passing by were speaking abusively to Him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way, the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has trusted in God; let God rescue Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the rebels who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.

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21. Chapel of the Division of the Robes

• While Jesus hung on the cross, the Roman soldiers tore His robe up into four parts.

• This was foretold in Psalm 22:18: They divide my garments among them, and they cast lots for my clothing. 

• The soldiers divided up Jesus’ outer garment into four parts, and then had a kind of lottery drawing to see which one of them would walk away with His tunic, which He wore under His robe.

• His tunic didn’t have any seams. It was woven into one piece. 

• Mark 15:24: And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man would take.

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22. St Longinus Chapel

• Longinus was the believed Roman Centurion who commanded the soldiers that stood watch at Golgotha. He was an eyewitness to Jesus' final moments and proclaimed that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

• An ancient source from the fourth century claims the soldier's name was Longinus. 

• John 19:32-34: So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 

• Whatever happened to this soldier named Longinus? Tradition tells us that Longinus became a believer in Christ, probably not just because of this earthquake, but also because, as a soldier, he likely heard that this same Jesus rose from the dead three days later. 

• Matthew 27:54: Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 

• Today, Longinus is revered as a saint in many Christian denominations because he is believed to have converted to Christianity after the crucifixion of Jesus. That’s why there is a large statue of Longinus in Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome today.

• Tradition tells us that Longinus was martyred in Cappadocia.

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23. Chapel of St. Helena

• Descending the stairs into this chapel, ancient crosses carved into the walls from the 1100s can be seen.

• These stairs weren't always here. In the original church, this area was just a tunnel that led down to the foundation of the church that Helena built.

• After Christianity was legalized in 325 AD, the Empress Helena tore down the pagan temple Hadrian had built over Golgotha. That process exposed the area of this chapel. At the time, she did the same thing that Hadrian did 200 years earlier. She used this room as a foundation for the church that she built above it.

• To the left of the chapel, part of a structural wall Hadrian built can be seen today.

• The Chapel of Saint Helena was named after the mother of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine the Great.

• In 326 AD, Constantine sent Helena to the Holy Land in her late 70s to build churches on Christianity’s most holy sites, beginning with this location. 

• It was the Crusaders who gave this chapel its common name, but the current custodians of the chapel, the Armenian Apostolic Church, renamed this chapel after their patron Saint. They now refer to it as the Chapel of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

• Saint Gregory is the most important saint for the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 301 AD, he convinced the king of Armenia to adopt Christianity. After that, the entire nation of Armenia switched from the pagan religion of Zoroastrianism to Christianity. The three large paintings on the north wall of this room tell his story.

• The Altar of Saint Helena (also known to the Armenians as the Altar of Saint Gregory). This altar was dedicated to Saint Helena.

• The Armenian Apostolic Church operates this chapel, and you will find a large mosaic on the floor depicting nine historic Armenian churches. Although the mosaic appears ancient, it was actually created in the 1970s. 

• The Altar of the Penitent Thief is located to the left of the chapel.

 

24. Chapel of the Discovery of the Cross

• Going down some stairs located on the right side of the chapel is a room called the Chapel of the Discovery of the Cross. Tradition claims that this is where Saint Helena discovered the "True Cross" on which Jesus is said to have died. 

• Why was the cross left here? This room was once a large underground cistern that collected water for the garden. You can still see the hole in the ceiling where people lowered buckets to get water. Tradition claims that local Christians told Helena that the Cross had been thrown into this old water cistern on the day Jesus died.

• Why was it thrown in this cistern? Jesus died at 3:00 PM, and the Jewish holy day (the Sabbath) began at 6:00 PM. Jewish law required that everything be buried or cleaned up before the Sabbath started. This gave Jesus’s followers only three hours to bury him and get rid of the bloody crosses. Because they were in a rush, they likely threw the crosses into this nearby cistern. Supposedly, the crosses stayed hidden here until Helena found them in 326 AD.

• If you look at the ceiling, you can see straight cuts in the rock. This is because, long before it was a cistern, this room was a stone quarry where workers extracted stone for building construction.

• Later, the old quarry was transformed into a garden, which is mentioned in the Bible (John 19:41). Ultimately, this space was converted into a cistern to supply water for the garden.

• ​The left side of this chapel is under the custody of the Catholics, whose altar features a life-sized statue of the Empress Helena holding a cross.

• The exact place where it is said that Helena found the three crosses is believed to be behind the metal altar railing.

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​​25. Chapel of Saint Vartan

• This chapel is normally closed to the public, and special arrangements must be made to see it. This chapel is at the deepest part of the church. 

• Throughout the centuries, the wall adjacent to the Altar of the Penitent Thief in the Chapel of Saint Helena was merely a wall.

• In the 1970s, a hole was made in the wall, and when they broke through, they discovered archaeological ruins that date back almost 2,700 years.

• The first room was part of a rock quarry that provided the building stones for Solomon’s Temple (960 BC) and other building projects in Jerusalem. 

• A wall containing a boat drawing was part of the foundation of the temple to the false gods that Hadrian built on this site in 135 AD. The only remnants of this ancient temple are in this chapel and the Russian Church of Alexander Nevsky next door.​

• Sometime between 325 AD—after Helena demolished Hadrian’s temple to the false gods—and the completion of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre about eleven years later, a pilgrim made his way to Jerusalem. He had traveled by boat from the western regions of the Roman Empire. Upon reaching this sacred place, he etched a drawing of his vessel onto the wall. Alongside it, in Latin, he inscribed the words: "Domine, imus"—“Lord, we go.” This phrase likely echoes Psalm 122:1: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” His journey had brought him to the gates of Jerusalem—and he marked the moment in stone.

 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Bible

 

1. Jesus arrives at Golgotha and is stripped of His garments (Station 10 of the Via Dolorosa; for all stations, see Via Dolorosa).
John 19:23–24: When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

 

2. Jesus is nailed to the Cross (Station 11).
John 19:17–18: And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.

 

3. Jesus dies on the Cross (Station 12).
Luke 23:44–45: It was now about the sixth hour [12:00 pm], and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour [3:00 pm], 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.”

 

4. Jesus' body is removed from the Cross (Station 13).
John 19:38–40: After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

 

5. Jesus is placed in the tomb (Station 14).
John 19:41–42: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

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6. Jesus raises from the dead.
Matthew 28:5–6: The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

Faith Lesson from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 

1. While we might disagree with the decorations and atmosphere of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, do we appreciate all the devotion and sacrifice that have been made to remember and commemorate all Jesus did for us on the Cross?

 

2. The fact that this place, along with many others, has been preserved and set aside to honor Christ and the events of the Bible provides powerful evidence regarding the historicity of Christ and the truthfulness of the Bible. Do we truly believe the Bible and everything written in it?

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3. This is the believed place where Christ gave His life for each one of us. Have we received Christ's gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life with Him in paradise?

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4. Are we grateful for the price Jesus paid to save us and have a living relationship with us?