Additional Coverage:
- Archaeologists confirm Bible’s account with shocking new discovery at Jesus’ burial site (irishstar.com)
Jerusalem—Archaeologists working beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have unearthed an ancient garden, potentially adding a new layer of understanding to the biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. The discovery, made during renovations that began in 2022, offers a tangible connection to the Gospel of John, which describes a garden near the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.
The team, led by Francesca Romana Stasolla of Rome’s Sapienza University, uncovered evidence of cultivated olive trees and grapevines dating back approximately 2,000 years. “The Gospel mentions a green area between the Calvary and the tomb,” Stasolla told the Times of Israel, “and we identified these cultivated fields.”
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visited by millions annually, is widely considered the site of Jesus’ entombment. Built in 335 AD over a former Roman temple dedicated to Venus, the church encompasses a vast area and houses what is believed to be Christ’s tomb, discovered during the church’s initial construction.
This recent discovery provides further insight into the historical context of the site. The team’s findings indicate the church rests upon a former quarry, which was later repurposed as farmland.
Among the artifacts unearthed were pottery, lamps, and other everyday objects from the era. The presence of the ancient garden, along with the archaeobotanical findings, resonates with the description in the Gospel of John, believed to have been written by someone intimately familiar with Jerusalem at that time.
This discovery not only illuminates details surrounding Jesus’ burial but also enriches our understanding of ancient Jerusalem.