Archaeologists have made a significant discovery at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus was buried and resurrected. Construction workers uncovered a long-lost altar by turning around a massive stone slab that had been leaning against a wall, covered in graffiti. This stone, measuring eight feet long and five feet wide, was decorated with ribbon ornaments and distinct markings, leading researchers to conclude it was the altar consecrated in 1149, previously thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 1808.
The team from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) expressed their excitement, noting the surprising fact that the slab remained hidden in such a well-researched and heavily visited building. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visited by around four million people annually, is built over a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus and was commissioned by Roman Emperor Constantine I in 335 AD. During its construction, a tomb believed to be that of Jesus, who died nearly 300 years earlier, was uncovered.
The Church has faced numerous attacks and reconstructions over the centuries, including near-demolition by the Persian army in 614, significant damage in 1009, and the 1808 fire. The recently discovered altar features Cosmatesque decoration, a technique used by guild masters in papal Rome, indicating it was likely created with the Pope’s blessing, enhancing the Church’s historical and religious significance.
Renovations at the Church have often led to remarkable discoveries, such as in 2016 when a conservation team from the National Technical University of Athens uncovered a limestone burial slab inside the tomb of Jesus. Additionally, in 2018, dozens of crosses etched into the Church’s walls were revealed to be the work of 15th-century masons paid by pilgrims for spiritual assurance.
These findings continue to underscore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s deep historical and religious importance, reaffirming its status as one of the most sacred sites in Christianity.
