Jesus' crucifixion site? (A 'Skull', Garden & Tomb)
- 11 years ago
...a location near the Old City of Jerusalem matches the biblical description of Jesus' crucifixion site and tomb with remarkable accuracy:
1) Jesus was crucified "outside the gate"..."near the city" [Hebrews 13:12; John 19:20]. The featured site is just north of the Old City of Jerusalem.
2) Jesus was crucified at "the Place of a Skull" [John 19:17]. Near the Old City of Jerusalem, 'cavaties' in a rocky hillside align to form a vivid image of a skull.
3) At the crucifixion site: "there was a garden" [John 19:41]. In the same location as the skull image, evidence of an ancient garden has been found:
a) Multiple water cisterns, hewn out of the bedrock have been discovered. These could have stored water to maintain a garden.
b) A large ancient winepress was also uncovered which would have been used to press harvested grapes.
4) At the same location: there was "a new tomb" where Jesus was buried [John 19:41-42]. In the featured site a large ancient tomb has been found which matches numerous details from the New Testament about Jesus' tomb:
a) The tomb was "hewn out of the rock" [Matthew 27:60]. The discovered tomb is hewn out of limestone.
b) The tomb belonged to "a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph" [Matthew 27:57-60]. The quality of the discovered tomb, and its location in a large garden near Jerusalem, confirm that its owner was wealthy.
c) Joseph of Arimathea "rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb" after the body of Jesus was placed inside [Matthew 27:60]. Carved into the rock-floor along the outside of the tomb is a long channel which would have enabled a large stone to be rolled in front of the doorway.
d) After Jesus' burial, the authorities "made the tomb secure, sealing the stone" [Matthew 27:66]. On the outside of the discovered tomb near the entrance, material containing iron has been found which possibly was nailed in to seal the stone.
e) Jesus' body was placed lying down in the tomb, such that after the resurrection two angels were seen sitting in the tomb... "one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain" [John 20:12]. A carved-out 'bed' is found inside the tomb.
f) After the resurrection someone clothed in white was seen "sitting on the right side" of the tomb [Mark 16:5]. Upon entering the discovered tomb, the open burial space is on the right-hand side.
g) Jesus' tomb was specifically: "a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid" [John 19:41]. There is evidence indicating the tomb was 'new' at the time of Jesus' burial: A second 'bed' is also inside the large tomb, which appears unfinished in comparison with the first. A plausible explanation is as follows: It could be that Joseph was building the tomb for two people. In the midst of construction when it was nearly completed, he unexpectedly made use of the tomb to bury Jesus. After Jesus' resurrection, Joseph likely considered the tomb too sacred to be used for anyone else, and therefore never completed its construction.
1) Jesus was crucified "outside the gate"..."near the city" [Hebrews 13:12; John 19:20]. The featured site is just north of the Old City of Jerusalem.
2) Jesus was crucified at "the Place of a Skull" [John 19:17]. Near the Old City of Jerusalem, 'cavaties' in a rocky hillside align to form a vivid image of a skull.
3) At the crucifixion site: "there was a garden" [John 19:41]. In the same location as the skull image, evidence of an ancient garden has been found:
a) Multiple water cisterns, hewn out of the bedrock have been discovered. These could have stored water to maintain a garden.
b) A large ancient winepress was also uncovered which would have been used to press harvested grapes.
4) At the same location: there was "a new tomb" where Jesus was buried [John 19:41-42]. In the featured site a large ancient tomb has been found which matches numerous details from the New Testament about Jesus' tomb:
a) The tomb was "hewn out of the rock" [Matthew 27:60]. The discovered tomb is hewn out of limestone.
b) The tomb belonged to "a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph" [Matthew 27:57-60]. The quality of the discovered tomb, and its location in a large garden near Jerusalem, confirm that its owner was wealthy.
c) Joseph of Arimathea "rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb" after the body of Jesus was placed inside [Matthew 27:60]. Carved into the rock-floor along the outside of the tomb is a long channel which would have enabled a large stone to be rolled in front of the doorway.
d) After Jesus' burial, the authorities "made the tomb secure, sealing the stone" [Matthew 27:66]. On the outside of the discovered tomb near the entrance, material containing iron has been found which possibly was nailed in to seal the stone.
e) Jesus' body was placed lying down in the tomb, such that after the resurrection two angels were seen sitting in the tomb... "one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain" [John 20:12]. A carved-out 'bed' is found inside the tomb.
f) After the resurrection someone clothed in white was seen "sitting on the right side" of the tomb [Mark 16:5]. Upon entering the discovered tomb, the open burial space is on the right-hand side.
g) Jesus' tomb was specifically: "a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid" [John 19:41]. There is evidence indicating the tomb was 'new' at the time of Jesus' burial: A second 'bed' is also inside the large tomb, which appears unfinished in comparison with the first. A plausible explanation is as follows: It could be that Joseph was building the tomb for two people. In the midst of construction when it was nearly completed, he unexpectedly made use of the tomb to bury Jesus. After Jesus' resurrection, Joseph likely considered the tomb too sacred to be used for anyone else, and therefore never completed its construction.