After uncovering the stone slab venerated as Jesus Christ’s burial place, archaeologists have now examined the interior of the tomb in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The tomb is a limestone shelf or burial bed hewn from the wall of a cave, National Geographic reports. Covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., it was exposed Oct. 26 as part of a major restoration project at the church.
An initial inspection by a team from the National Technical University of Athens revealed a layer of fill material beneath the marble cladding. Additional work revealed another marble slab with a cross carved into its surface, according to National Geographic. Just hours before the tomb was re-sealed Friday, the original limestone burial bed was found to be intact. FULL REPORT
