The location of the tomb where Jesus was buried was clear to everyone involved in the events. His family and friends knew. They had seen it. The Jewish leaders knew where it was – they persuaded the Romans to guard it. The Romans, their centurion and many others knew where it was.
However, while the followers of Jesus were being persecuted and driven out of the area, and as the antagonists involved began moving away or dying off, fewer and fewer people could point to the correct location of the empty tomb. Time marched on until no one remained who could vouch for its location.
A *Recent* Discovery
Then in 1867 a tomb was unearthed at Skull Hill next to the old city of Jerusalem. It may be the one where Jesus had been buried. It certainly meets two important requirements. For one, it was empty; and for another, it was close to the old city and a major road. The Romans would usually crucify next to a road in order to plant fear in the hearts of people.
While it certainly would be interesting to know the tomb’s location, and while the 1867 tomb is quite possibly the one in which He lay for 3 days, certainty eludes us.
Having said all of the above, here are some pictures of the area. I have also included a link to the Garden Tomb web site where you can see all about its history.
Enjoy.
Doorway to the tomb, beneath a wall that surrounds a cemetery.
Metal bars protect the burial place.
Schematic of the Layout of the Tomb
Erosion has obscured the face of the cliff, yet some resemblance of a skull remains partially visible
Visit GardenTomb.com for more info about the Garden Tomb.
A documentary titled Christ Revealed was released in November 2017. The first episode is available on their web site. At 1:08:25 in the video, the Operations Manager of the Garden Tomb speaks about its history: ChristRevealed.com. Episode One.
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