The Undeniable Site of Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection

For more than 2,000 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has been revered as the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. This is not merely a claim of tradition—it is confirmed by overwhelming historical, archaeological, and geographical evidence.

Despite modern speculation, particularly the claim that the Garden Tomb (also called Gordon’s Tomb) might be an alternative location, the reality is that all credible evidence overwhelmingly confirms that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the actual burial site of Jesus Christ.

The earliest Christians knew where Jesus was buried, the archaeological record supports it, and the historical geography confirms it. There is no factual basis to doubt that this is the tomb from which Jesus rose from the dead.

This is not a matter of speculation—it is a historical fact.

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The Early Christian Recognition of Christ’s Tomb

Did Early Christians Lose Track of Jesus’ Tomb?

One of the most common misconceptions is the idea that the exact location of Jesus’ tomb was forgotten until the fourth century, when Emperor Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, this is demonstrably false.

From the first century onward, early Christians in Jerusalem knew exactly where Jesus had been buried, and this knowledge was never lost.

Early Church records confirm the veneration of Christ’s tomb long before Constantine:

• Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260–339 AD), one of the first great church historians, recorded that Christians had revered this site long before Constantine’s time.¹
• Emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD) attempted to erase Christian worship at the tomb by building a pagan temple over it. Ironically, this preserved the tomb’s location, because Constantine’s mother, Helena, later identified it by removing Hadrian’s temple and uncovering the rock-hewn tomb beneath it.²
• Origen of Alexandria (185–254 AD) mentioned the location of Jesus’ tomb, showing that Christians in Jerusalem still knew exactly where it was in the second century.³
• The Acts of Pilate, an early Christian text, referenced Jesus’ burial site as a recognized location.⁵
• Christian pilgrims in the second and third centuries visited the site of Christ’s tomb before Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, proving that it was known long before the fourth century.⁶

This uninterrupted historical record proves that early Christians always knew the location of Christ’s tomb.

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Archaeological Discoveries Confirm the Authenticity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Modern Excavations Leave No Doubt

While the historical evidence for the site is already overwhelming, archaeology has provided absolute confirmationthat the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the authentic tomb of Jesus.

1. The Discovery of the Original Limestone Burial Bed

In 2016, a restoration project led by the National Technical University of Athens uncovered Jesus’ original limestone burial bed, still preserved beneath layers of marble.⁷

This was an extraordinary discovery, because it perfectly aligns with first-century Jewish burial practices and fits the biblical description of Jesus’ burial (Mark 15:46).

2. The Presence of an Ancient Quarry and First-Century Jewish Tombs

Archaeologists have confirmed that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre sits atop a site that was originally a limestone quarry from the Iron Age. By the first century, the area had been repurposed as a Jewish burial ground, with multiple rock-hewn tombs surrounding the site.⁸

The presence of multiple first-century Jewish tombs in this area confirms that it was recognized as a burial place in Jesus’ time, matching exactly what the Gospels describe.⁹

3. Continuous Christian Worship at the Site

Historical and archaeological records show that early Christians visited, venerated, and worshiped at the site of Jesus’ tomb long before Constantine built a church there.

Hadrian’s pagan temple was built specifically to obscure the tomb, proving that even the Romans recognized its significance.

Dr. Craig Evans, one of the world’s leading biblical scholars, affirms:

“Archaeological evidence provides significant help in interpreting the Gospels. In a sense, archaeology is an exegetical tool.”¹⁰

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Debunking the Garden Tomb (Gordon’s Tomb) Myth

How Did the Garden Tomb Become Popular?

The Garden Tomb, also known as Gordon’s Tomb, was first discovered in 1867. It gained popularity in 1883, when British General Charles Gordon visited Jerusalem and, based solely on visual appearance, speculated that it might be Jesus’ tomb because it was near Skull Hill (Golgotha).

However, Gordon was not an archaeologist or historian—his theory was entirely based on guesswork, and modern archaeology has completely disproved it.

Three Archaeological Reasons the Garden Tomb (Gordon’s Tomb) Cannot Be Jesus’ Burial Site

1. It Dates to the Iron Age (8th–7th Century BCE)
   • The Garden Tomb is over 700 years older than Jesus, making it archaeologically impossible that He was buried there.¹¹
2. It Does Not Match First-Century Jewish Tombs
   • First-century Jewish burials followed specific practices that included kokh-style niches carved into the rock for multiple burials.
   • The Garden Tomb does not have these features, proving it was not used in Jesus’ time.¹²
3. The Rolling Stone Theory Is False
   • A groove in front of the tomb, once thought to have held a rolling stone, was actually a Crusader-era water trough.¹³

Dr. Titus Kennedy, a leading field archaeologist, confirms:

“The archaeological evidence does not support [the Garden Tomb] as the authentic site of Jesus’ burial.”¹⁴

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The Overwhelming Evidence for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The historical, archaeological, and geographical evidence confirms beyond any reasonable doubt that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the authentic tomb of Jesus Christ.

Final Verdict: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Is the Tomb of Jesus

This is not a matter of speculation—it is a historical fact.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the burial site of Jesus Christ, and all the evidence supports this with no evidence to the contrary. This means the Christians have always known where the burial of Christ was from the time of the resurrection until now (Acts 2:29-36).

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Footnotes

¹ Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book III, Chapter 28.
² Ibid.
³ Origen, Commentary on Matthew, Fragment 126.

⁵ Acts of Pilate, Apocryphal text.
⁶ Early Christian pilgrim accounts, 2nd century.
⁷ NTUA, “Restoration of the Edicule,” 2017.
⁸ Jodi Magness, The Archaeology of the Holy Land, 2012.
⁹ Dan Bahat, The Atlas of Jerusalem, 2013, p. 179.
¹⁰ Justin L. Kelley, The Holy Sepulchre in History, 2021.
¹¹ Craig Evans, Jesus and His World, 2012.
¹² Gabriel Barkay, Biblical Archaeology Review, 1986.
¹³ Hershel Shanks, Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, 2013.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Titus Kennedy, Excavating the Evidence for Jesus, 2020.

Videos

Expedition Bible

Group Tour 1 (Joel Kramer)

Group Tour 2 (Joel Kramer)

Group Tour 3 (Joel Kramer)

Place of crucifixion (Expedition Bible)

National Geographic

Tour Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher