Layers of soil and pollen samples that had been preserved for centuries under the floor of the church were examined, revealing evidence that olive trees and vines had been growing on the site for around 2,000 years.
Newsdesk (07/04/2025 13:09, Gaudium Press) Excavations led by Francesca Romana Stasolla – professor of Christian and Medieval Archaeology at La Sapienza University in Rome – at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have revealed an important discovery that may be closely linked to the figure of Christ.
The team identified what is believed to be the garden mentioned in the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 40-42, which describes the place where Jesus was buried. In this passage, the Evangelist relates:
“Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there”.
These excavations are part of an extensive project to restore and rehabilitate the interior of the temple, which began in 2022 with the approval of the three main guardians: the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Patriarchate. In the midst of this process, the research team found traces of pollen and plant remains consistent with a landscape of olive trees and vines approximately 2,000 years old, which coincides both geographically and chronologically with the description of the garden mentioned in the Gospel.
In addition, the excavation found a circular marble base under the aedicule, the sanctuary surrounding Jesus’ tomb. This find is believed to be part of the original structure built by Emperor Constantine, as the earliest depictions of the church, dating from the 5th and 6th centuries, describe it as having this circular shape.
Undoubtedly, this site has undergone significant transformations over the centuries.
At the time of Jesus, the area was a quarry outside the walls of Jerusalem. Over time, it became a cemetery with tombs dug into the rock, a common burial practice in ancient Israel. In the 2nd century AD, the site was incorporated into the city walls. Later, Constantine had the first church built, which was burnt down in the 7th century and, years later, destroyed during the Islamic period under Caliph Al-Hakim in the 11th century. The church that stands on the site today has its origins in the period of the Crusades.
The findings reveal attempts to create a cultivated area on the same site, which corresponds to the description in the Gospel. ‘Low stone walls were erected and the space between them was filled with earth’. The archaeobotanical discoveries have been of particular interest to us in the light of what is mentioned in the Gospel of John, which is considered to have been written or compiled by someone familiar with Jerusalem at the time. The Gospel mentions a green area between Calvary and the tomb, and we have identified these cultivated fields,’ said expert Francesca Romana Stasolla.
The archaeological team was unable to excavate the entire area in one go. Instead, they divided the area into sections, excavating one by one before covering them again. “We can’t excavate everything at once,” Stasolla explained to the Times of Israel. “We work section by section, carefully closing off each area so that pilgrims can still access the church, especially as Holy Week approaches.”
The project also plans to create a multimedia reconstruction of the finds and the original structure. “Although we haven’t been able to see the entire excavated church, the new technologies allow us to reconstruct the overall context in our laboratories. In the end, we will have a complete multimedia reconstruction of the whole scene,” added Stasolla.
The permission granted to the archaeologists to excavate in the basement of the temple is considered a milestone in interfaith relations, especially given the proximity of the holy days. The progress made in this research could provide new insights into the history of Christianity’s holiest site, while restoration and conservation efforts continue.
With information and images from Fundación Tierra Santa
The post Discovered! The Garden of the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus, as Described in St. John’s Gospel appeared first on Gaudium Press.
Compiled by Roberta MacEwan
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