Jesus tomb 'found' by archaeologists with unbelievable discovery

Recent discoveries of an ancient structure in Jerusalem align exactly with the description of Jesus' tomb in the Bible.

Architects at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have unveiled the exact site described in the Gospel of John. "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus."

The existence of olive trees and grapevines was confirmed through archaeobotanical and pollen analysis conducted on samples extracted from beneath the ancient basilica's floor. It suggests these findings date back to the pre-Christian era, although radiocarbon testing is yet to be carried out.

"We know that the area was already part of the city at the time of Emperor Hadrian when the Romans built Aelia Capitolina," Prof. Francesca Romana Stasolla of the Sapienza University of Rome told the Times of Israel, referring to the Roman city constructed atop the ruins of Jerusalem in the first half of the 2nd century CE.

"However, at the time of Jesus, the area was not part of the city yet."

Christian tradition maintains that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the location of Jesus' crucifixion (known as Calvary or Golgotha) and his nearby tomb, which today is crowned by an aedicule erected in 1810.

Stasolla has been at the helm of the ongoing excavations since work began in 2022. In 2019, after years of internal disputes, the three primary religious communities overseeing the church - the Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate - consented to renovations.

These included replacing the building's floor, predominantly from the 19th century, marking the first significant restoration effort in the basilica since a fire in 1808.

The archaeological dig was granted a permit by the Israel Antiquities Authority, a legal requirement for any excavation within the country.

"During the renovation works, the religious communities decided to also permit archaeological excavations beneath the floor," revealed Stasolla in her first comprehensive interview with The Times of Israel since the commencement of the excavations.

She added: "However, currently, we do not have any active excavation sites as the church is preparing for Easter, when it needs to be fully accessible to pilgrims." She stressed that due to the site's sensitive nature and logistical requirements, they have had to proceed with utmost caution.

All archaeologists involved in the excavations hail from Italy and are associated with La Sapienza University. Stasolla said: "We work in shifts, but our team in Jerusalem always comprises 10 or 12 individuals. The atmosphere here is truly unique; we have received a warm welcome and established strong bonds with everyone."

From time to time, specialists in particular fields, such as geologists, archaeobotanists, or archaeozoologists from Rome, collaborate with the archaeologists in Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was undergoing renovation works in March 2025.

"We take turns, but our team in Jerusalem always includes 10 or 12 people," revealed Stasolla. "The atmosphere here is very special; we have been welcomed warmly and built strong relationships with everyone." From time to time, specialists such as geologists, archaeobotanists, or archaeozoologists from Rome join the archaeological team in Jerusalem.

Archaeologists from the Sapienza University of Rome are currently excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (Archivio Università di Roma La Sapienza). "However, most of our team remains based in Rome, where we send the data for the post-production work," Stasolla elaborates.

"While we have not been able to see the entire church excavated in one glance, new technologies are allowing us to reconstruct the bigger picture in our labs," Stasolla said. "If we were talking about a puzzle, we could say we are only excavating one piece at a time, but eventually, we will have a complete multimedia reconstruction of the full picture."

Over the centuries, the Holy Sepulchre has witnessed numerous cycles of destruction and restoration. The initial structure was constructed in the fourth century by Constantine, the first emperor to embrace Christianity. The church suffered a fire at the hands of Persians in the seventh century and was assaulted by caliph al-Hakim in 1009.

Its present form is largely due to extensive restoration during the Crusader rule in the 12th century. Stasolla explains that the concealed layers beneath the church's floor, akin to the pages of a book, have provided an exceptional record of Jerusalem's history, beginning with the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE).

"The church is built on a quarry, which isn't surprising as a large portion of the Old City of Jerusalem is situated on a quarry," Stasolla stated. "The quarry was operational during the Iron Age. During our excavation, we discovered pottery, lamps, and other everyday items from that era."

Before the construction of the church and after the quarry was no longer in use, part of the site was utilised for farming.

"Low stone walls were constructed, and the space between them was filled with soil," Stasolla explained. "The archaeobotanical findings have been particularly intriguing for us, given what is mentioned in the Gospel of John, believed to be written or compiled by someone familiar with Jerusalem at the time. The Gospel refers to a green area between the Calvary and the tomb, and we identified these cultivated fields."

Discoveries linked to Constantine's era have been unearthed at a site dating back to Jesus' time, which functioned not only as a quarry but also a burial ground, featuring numerous rock-carved tombs in various parts of Jerusalem. "We need to imagine that as the quarry was progressively abandoned, tombs were carved at different levels.

"The area, therefore, featured several burials from that period. Constantine selected the one that had been venerated as the tomb where Jesus was buried, and he excavated around it in the area that corresponds to the current rotunda, isolating it from the other burials."

Within the Holy Sepulchre complex lie several ancient tombs, including one attributed by Christian belief to Joseph of Arimathea, who is traditionally held to have offered Jesus his own burial space.

Stasolla's research team came across multiple objects presumed to date back to the fourth century. Delving under the present structure, she reported: "Under the current aedicule, we found a circular basis that is part of the first monumentalization of the tomb, made out of marble."

Stasolla found this significant, adding: "It is interesting because the most ancient depictions of the aedicule, which date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, describe it as circular. We therefore believe that this circular basis was part of the original structure built by Constantine."

Future analysis of the artifact, spanning approximately six meters (nearly 20 feet) across, could provide scholars with additional clues about the storied past of this revered edifice.

"We are conducting geological analysis to verify the origin of the marble, and we are also testing the mortar," revealed Stasolla. "Both tests can provide us with crucial information."

Another discovery that definitively hails from the fourth century is a cache of coins unearthed in the eastern section of the current rotunda. The oldest coin was minted during the reign of Constantius II (337–361 CE), while the most recent ones were issued under Valens (374–378 CE).

The team has also uncovered hundreds of animal bones, evidence of centuries of feasting by priests and pilgrims.

A preliminary report on the dig, published in the peer-reviewed journal "Liber Annuus," in 2023, details the contents of a structural trench linked to the Crusader period and a modern manhole pit. Both sites yielded remains of sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, and pigeons, as well as a significant quantity of fish.

Identified species included a ponyfish from the Indo-Pacific Ocean and a cod from the Atlantic.

"We also discovered several shells of a terrestrial snail species that is still consumed today," added Stasolla. "This species originated here and spread around the Mediterranean following the Crusades."

The archaeologist stressed that a more comprehensive understanding of how the dietary habits of those who resided in and visited the Church evolved over the centuries will only be possible after extensive analysis of the unearthed bones.

The scientific analysis of all the excavation findings, which include around 100,000 pottery fragments, is expected to take several years. However, the excavations are due to recommence after Easter and are anticipated to be finished within a few months. "We only have a part of the northern aisle left to excavate," said Stasolla.

When questioned if archaeology will ever definitively confirm whether Jesus was indeed buried at the Holy Sepulchre, Stasolla emphasised the need to separate faith and history.

"However, it is the faith of those who have believed in the sanctity of this site for millennia that has allowed it to exist and evolve," she remarked. "This is true for all holy sites.

"The real treasure we are uncovering is the history of the people who made this site what it is by expressing their faith here," she continued. "Whether someone believes or not in the historicity of the Holy Sepulchre, the fact that generations of people did is objective. The history of this place is the history of Jerusalem, and from a certain point, it is the history of the worship of Jesus Christ."