The Garden Tomb

During our pilgrimage to Holy Land in May 2006, my wife Josephine and I stayed at ‘The Olive Tree’ Hotel at St. George Street which is outside the walled city of Jerusalem down the road to Nablus. One morning we left our hotel travelling to Jerusalem when we passed the ‘Garden Tomb’ which is located near an Arab bus station, our guide named ‘Halis’ pointed out to us and said that the Protestants believe it to be the true burial place of Jesus. Not the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre (Al Qeyameh) as revered by the Roman Catholics (Latin-rites) and the Eastern-rites Orthodox Churches of Greek, Armenian, Russian, Ethiopian, Coptic (Egypt) and Syrian.
















The Garden Tomb

How come? We were hearing it from Halis our professional guide and what a surprise; it made me confused. From what we saw the Garden Tomb is far away from the Traditional site of the crucifixion even outside of the present day wall. Whereas the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre stands at the end of 'Via Dolorosa' (the way of the cross) which begins further down from the Chapel of Condemnation.

Jerusalem the walled city is one of the World's oldest continuously inhabited cities. The surrounding walls were built by 'Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent' (Ottoman Turk) in the 16th century when he conquered Jerusalem. It roughly followed the course of the earlier walls built by the Romans to encircle Jerusalem in the 2nd century. At the Jaffa Gate, one of the 8 gateways bears the Sultan's inscription ordering it's construction in 1538/9.

Anyway history tells us that in the 3rd century Constantine became the first Christian Emperor after defeating Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge. By issuing the Edit of Milan he had granted freedom of worship; that ended more than 260 years of persecutions by Roman Rulers starting from Emperor Nero in 54 A.D. By this act, Christianity spread like a wild brushfire throughout the entire Roman Empire. Suddenly Christianity from underground, illegal and private emerged to recognition, State-sponsored and public. In 326 his mother St. Helena a devote convert went on a pilgrimage to Holy Land and conducted the first archaeological excavations. She is held as the Patron Saint of Archaeologists; discovering the site of crucifixion, the true cross and the empty tomb of Jesus. Like the 'Ark of Covenant' carried to battle by the Jews, the true Cross was also carried to battle by the Crusaders and loss to Saladin at Hattin. At that time Macarius was the Bishop of Jerusalem and Helena prompted her son to build a basilica to commemorate the burial site of Jesus. It took 9 long years to complete the building named ‘Holy Sepulchre’ and the inauguration attended by some 300 bishops.

From the six century the Armies of Islam took turns controlling the Holy Land; they came from the land of Egypt, Arabia and Turkey. Pilgrims were stopped, shrines desecrated and the fanatical El-Hakim even ordered total destruction of the Holy Sepulchre (tomb of Jesus) and all trappings of Christianity. This led to Pope Urban II to preach ‘Sacrum Bellum’ (Holy War) in 1095 urging Christian Europe to respond to his call and liberate the Holy Land from the Turks. As a result 200,000 men from all over Europe took to arms and marched to Jerusalem. In 1099 the first Crusaders led by a French knight Godefroy de Bouillon (Geoffrey of Bouillon) conquered Jerusalem and massacred the Muslim defenders and Jews as well. He was hailed as the ‘Defender of the Holy Sepulchre’ and set about founding a Latin Kingdom. At the same time rebuilding and restoring the Basilica. I cannot help thinking about those countless thousands who had sacrificed their lives for their faith for the wrong empty tomb? Then all would have died in vain. Could Emperor Constantine himself, his mother St. Helena, Macarius the Bishop of Jerusalem, along with the fanatical Al-Hakim the 6th Caliph of Egypt, Geoffrey of Bouillon (Defender of the Holy Sepulchre), Salah ad-Din known to the West as Saladin (Liberator of Jerusalem, Islam greatest, holy warrior); all of them made an error? The Crusaders were defeated by Saladin in the ‘Battle of the Horns of Hattin’ in 1187 and King Guy of the Latin Kingdom taken prisoner. Next to follow was the fall of the walled City of Jerusalem. Meantime Saladin’s lieutenants prompted him to torch the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre but he refused. After all Jesus is accepted by Muslims as one of their prophets and honour Mary his mother.

Nearby the Holy Sepulchre is the mosque better known as the ‘Dome of Rock’, revered by the 3 religions, the Jews, Christians and Muslims. For the Jews it is the site where Abraham wanted to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The Christian follow the Jews as part of the Old Testament and for the Muslim it is the site when Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven on a winged horse. Inside the mosque on the wall inscribed a passage from the Koran, pertaining to Christ.

Surah 19:33 ‘God bless your messenger and your servant Jesus, Son of Mary. Blessed be he on the day of his birth, on the day of his death and the day on which he will be raised from the dead.’

Instead Saladin simply locked up the Basilica and passed the keys to the Muslims and the two families in Jerusalem are the ‘Nuseybe’ and the ‘Cude’. So from ancient times it was customary for the Muslim family to ‘open/un-lock the door’ in order for the Christians to enter for worship.



















My wife and I at Holy Shrine of the ‘Dome of Rock’

As for the ‘Garden Tomb’ it lies below the rise of a cliff that resembles a ‘skull’ and it is also known as ‘Gordon’s Calvary’ named after the renowned British General ‘Charles George (Chinese) Gordon. In 1883 the general visited Jerusalem and seeing the surrounding garden; became convinced that this is the Tomb of Jesus which he thought more fitting; instead of the dark and gloomy interior of the Holy Sepulchre. It hangs upon a single verse taken out of context of John’s Gospel Jn 19:41 ‘At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had been buried.’

In the same chapter, verse 38 showed that Pilate gave permission to Joseph of Arimathaea and he took the body away; see the Gospel of Matthew.

Gen. Charles George Gordon

In the Synoptic Gospels, in Matt 27:57-61 The Burial (quote from Jerusalem Bible) ‘When it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, called Joseph who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate thereupon ordered it to be handed over. So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud and put it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of rock. He then rolled a large stone across the entrance and went away. Now Mary of Magdala and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.’

In verse 59 Matthew specifically mentioned that ‘So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud and put it in his own new tomb.’ In verse 61 Matthew said that 2 witnesses were there, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary.

Also the Gospel of Lk 23:50-54, Mk 15:42-47 and in John Chpt.19:38-42, they all clearly pointing to Joseph of Arimathaea who approached Pilate to claim the body of Jesus. Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath and died at the ninth hour. The Jews did not want corpses hanging during the Sabbath day; that explains why the legs of the two thieves were broken to hasten their death. The legs of Jesus were not broken as he was already dead. (as prophesied). The bodies had to be taken down on the same day before sunset. It was Preparation Day (that is vigil of the Sabbath) and the Sabbath was imminent and they were rushing for time. In Jn 19:42 ‘Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.’ It said that Nicodemus came by night and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a 100lb weight. In Lk 23:55 ‘Meanwhile the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus were following behind. They took note of the tomb and the position of the body. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. And on the Sabbath they rested as the law required.’

During the passion of Christ his disciples had deserted him except for John who remained at the foot of the cross. On the other hand the women had been supportive and faithfull up to the end.

In Mk 16:1-2. When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him.

Matt 28:1-2. After the sabbath and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. In verse 10, Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there'.

In Lk 24:9-11. When the women returned from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joana, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them also told the apostles, but this story of theirs seemed nonsense and they did not believe.

Inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre at the Chapel of Adam lies a long slab of polished pink limestone called the ‘Stone of the Anointing’. This stone marks the place of the ancient Oratory of the Anointing and according to tradition is the place where the body of Jesus was anointed after it had been taken down from the cross. Where his beloved mother wept over him (XIII Station of the Cross) marked by the altar of ‘Stabat Mater’.

Josephine at ‘Stone of the Anointing’

The Tomb of Joseph Arimathaea

This small chamber in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, where located ancient tombs dug into the rock is the only part belonging to the Ethiopian Church. Accordingly inscription on the tomb refers to Joseph of Arimathaea. And Joseph was a well known figure in Jerusalem and a member of the council. The fact that Jesus had been buried in his grave provided a very clear identification that could not easily be lost to tradition. The family graves especially those so near the town were known to everyone.