Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of Ancient Agriculture at Jesus’s Possible Tomb

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Italian archaeologists have announced significant findings beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, suggesting it may mark the site of Jesus’s tomb. The excavation, which began in 2022, uncovered ancient olive trees and grapevines dating back 2,000 years, indicating that the area was once utilized for agriculture. This aligns with biblical descriptions found in the Gospel of John, which refers to a garden at the burial site (Times of Israel).

The Church itself is believed to encompass both the crucifixion site and the tomb of Christ, attracting numerous pilgrims each year. Archaeological access to this significant location was made possible following renovations agreed upon in 2019 by the Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate. The current excavations, led by Francesca Romana Stasolla from La Sapienza University, aim to explore a quarry that served as a burial site during the Iron Age (Times of Israel).

While the findings offer intriguing context for biblical narratives, Stasolla emphasized that the work reveals the cultural and spiritual history of the site rather than confirming its association with Jesus’s burial definitively.

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