How did the opening of Jesus' tomb take place?

The team of restoration experts had to work very carefully during the process of opening Jesus' tomb under the supervision of many congregations and race against time to get closer to the bottom of the tomb.

The Edicule was built over the tomb of Jesus. Photo: Washington Post.

In the deepest part of the crypt believed to be the tomb of Jesus, a team of restoration experts arefor the first time in centuries on the moveMarble layers covered the tomb in an attempt to reach the bedrock where Jesus' body was once laid, according toNew York Times.

Many historians believe that the cave where the body ofJesusdiscovered centuries after his death and had been completely destroyed years ago. But according to Fredrik Hiebert, a National Geographic archaeologist who accompanied the restoration team, ground-penetrating radar tests showed that the cave walls were still vertical, 1.8 meters high, and attached to the bedrock beneath the marble slabs that cover the tomb at the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The tomb opening is part of a restoration project to strengthen and preserve the Edicule, a structure built over a cave where Jesus is believed to have been buried and resurrected. The Edicule is the centerpiece of what is considered to be the oldest church in Christianity. Rebuilt in the 12th century on ruins from the 4th century, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is unique in that it is the only one where all six Christian denominations worship in the same location.

Pilgrims line up all day, hoping for a chance to pay their respects in the small chamber inside the Edicule. They kneel before the white marble slab that covers the stone floor jutting out from the side of the limestone cave where Jesus’ body lay before his resurrection.

The Edicule was last restored in 1810 after a fire. It needed reinforcement after years of exposure to mold and candle smoke. In 1947, British authorities erected a large iron fence around the Edicule to support the structure, but it was not strong enough.

Restoration work at this most sacred site requires the approval of the church's various custodians, and consensus is difficult to come by. Different Christian denominations protect different parts of the site and often object to even the smallest changes.

Last year, Israeli police briefly closed the church after the Israel Antiquities Authority concluded it was unsafe for pilgrims, prompting Christian denominations to approve a repair project that officially began in June this year.

Pilgrims walk around the Edicule. Photo: AP

Church officials closed the Edicule on the evening of October 26. Workers used a pulley to slide the marble slab and reach a stone surface where the body of Christ is believed to have been laid. According to Hiebert, the stone slab has not been moved since 1550.

Beneath the marble slab was a layer of dust. Workers cleared the dust yesterday afternoon and unexpectedly found another slab of gray marble with a small cross carved into it. Hiebert believes the second slab dates from the 12th century. The slab is cracked down the middle, and underneath it is a white layer. "I don't believe it's a stone bed. We still have a lot of work to do," Hiebert said.

The Christian communities that run the church have only given the team 60 hours to excavate the sacred site. They are working day and night to get close to the bottom of the tomb and analyze it. “We will seal the tomb after we have documented it,” said Antonia Moropoulou, an architect at the National Technical University of Athens who is overseeing the restoration project.

The restoration team wanted to seal the bottom of the tomb before plastering other parts of the Edicule for reinforcement, so the mortar would not stick to the sacred stone floor. Only a portion of the tomb was revealed. Experts carved a rectangular window in one of the Edicule's marble walls so pilgrims could look through the limestone wall into Jesus' tomb.

According to VNE