Archaeologists have uncovered a long-lost altar at the site believed to be where Jesus was buried and resurrected. This remarkable discovery was made after construction workers moved a massive stone slab covered in graffiti, which had been leaning against the wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The stone, measuring eight feet long and five feet wide, was adorned with ribbon ornaments, a Roman practice from Medieval times. Researchers identified it as the altar consecrated in 1149, previously thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 1808. Archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), who made the discovery, described it as a sensational find, noting that it had remained hidden in such a well-researched building, despite being in plain view of thousands of pilgrims and tourists daily.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a site of profound significance, is recognized as the location of both the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus. It attracts approximately four million visitors each year. The church, spanning nearly 5,400 square feet, was constructed on the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus in 335 AD. The construction, commissioned by Roman Emperor Constantine I, uncovered a tomb believed to be that of Jesus, who died nearly 300 years earlier.
Throughout the centuries, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has faced numerous attacks. It was destroyed by the Persian army in 614, nearly demolished in 1009, and engulfed in flames during the 1800s, which was when the altar was thought to have been lost. The slab had been long overlooked due to graffiti covering its front-facing portion. However, the intricate decorations on the side facing the wall led researchers to identify it as “Cosmatesque.”
This technique, used for marble decoration, was exclusive to guild masters in papal Rome, who meticulously optimized precious marble to create complex geometric patterns and dazzling ornaments. The researchers believe the Cosmatesque altar discovered in Jerusalem was made with the Pope’s blessing, emphasizing Christianity’s claim to the city by sending one of these skilled masters to create the new high altar.
Renovations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have continually revealed historical treasures. In 2016, a team from the National Technical University of Athens discovered a limestone burial slab inside Jesus’ tomb, covered by marble layers since at least 1555. Christian tradition holds that Christ’s body was laid on a limestone slab after his crucifixion, and he was resurrected three days later.
While the evidence is not definitive, Dan Bahat, a former district archaeologist in Jerusalem and Galilee, asserted, “We may not be absolutely certain that the site of the Holy Sepulchre Church is the site of Jesus’ burial, but we certainly have no other site that can lay a claim nearly as weighty, and we really have no reason to reject the authenticity of the site.”
In 2018, dozens of crosses were found etched into the church’s walls, initially thought to be graffiti by Crusaders. However, deeper analysis in 2021 revealed that 15th-century masons created these carvings, commissioned by pilgrims seeking added insurance of salvation.
