The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was a place of worship that the Knights Templar venerated. So much so that Templar churches all over Europe were modelled on this circular church. And at its centre, still today, is the alleged tomb of Jesus Christ.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is situated in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Christians believe the church stands on the actual site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Calvary or Golgotha) and his tomb. The tomb itself is enclosed by a shrine known as the Aedicula (or Edicule), which has undergone restoration in recent years.
The church has been continuously recognized as the site of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection since the 4th century. While the site is considered holy, there are ongoing discussions about whether it is the actual location of these events. Some believe the Garden Tomb is the true location of Jesus’ tomb, leading to a “mystery of the two tombs”. In the 1890s, there was a campaign in England to buy the rival Garden Tomb for its protection.
My photos of the tomb!
In 2012, I went inside the tomb on two occasions. It’s contained within an ancient small structure that is like a church within a church. The unstable construction, now supported by girders, is referred to as the Edicule, a word from the Roman era referring to a small shrine.
The limestone slab within on which the body of Christ is purported to have lied has now been dated to at least three hundred years after the death of Jesus. That would place it during the era of the conversion to Christianity of the Roman emperor, Constantine.
That would figure because it was the mother of the emperor Constantine, a woman called Helena, who is supposed to have discovered the burial site of Jesus while on a state visit to Jerusalem.
DISCOVER MORE: The power of saints’ relics!
Enjoy the photos below!
If you would like to know more about the Knights Templar, then get your hands on a copy of my book: The Knights Templar – History & Mystery. Published by Pen & Sword and available on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and WHSmith. Don’t miss out on your copy!
These photos are very interesting. For me, the photos evoke a very powerful sense of history, and of the scope of mankind’s history — and it makes me feel very small and humbled. But also eager to learn more.
– Steve, Assistant at NewYorkerApts.com (NYC’s new site for apartments and roommates)