Archaeological excavations at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre have uncovered ancient gardens, 4th-century coins, and marble structures that align with biblical descriptions of Jesus’ burial site

Archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem have aligned almost perfectly with the biblical account of Jesus’ burial site.

The precise location, as outlined in the Gospel of John, has been revealed by architects working at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus.”

Analysis of ancient plant remains and pollen extracted from samples taken beneath the historic basilica’s floor verified the presence of olive trees and grapevines.

These discoveries indicate that the site traces back to the pre-Christian period, though radiocarbon dating results are still awaited.

 

“We know that the area was already part of the city at the time of Emperor Hadrian when the Romans built Aelia Capitolina,” Prof Francesca Romana Stasolla of the Sapienza University of Rome told the Times of Israel, referencing the Roman settlement built on top if Jerusalem’s ruins during the first half of the 2nd century CE.

“However, at the time of Jesus, the area was not part of the city yet.”

Christian belief maintains that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre identifies the site of Jesus’ crucifixion (called Calvary or Golgotha) and his adjacent tomb, which is now topped by a shrine built in 1810.

Stasolla has been spearheading the effort since the pioneering archaeological work commenced at the sacred location in 2022.

After years of stalemate, the trio of religious bodies overseeing the church – the Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate – reached consensus on a restoration initiative in 2019.

Their goal was to replace the basilica’s predominantly 19th-century flooring, marking the first substantial restoration since a devastating 1808 blaze.

Obtaining authorization from the Israel Antiquities Authority was essential, as all excavations in the country require legal approval.

“During the renovation works, the religious communities decided to also permit archaeological excavations beneath the floor,” Stasolla explained in her first interview with The Times of Israel since excavations started.

She said: “However, currently, we do not have any active excavation sites as the church is preparing for Easter, when it needs to be fully accessible to pilgrims.”

She emphasized that the delicate nature and practical challenges of the historic location demand utmost caution throughout their work.

The archaeological team operating under Stasolla’s direction consists of Italian specialists affiliated with La Sapienza University of Rome.

Stasolla said: “We work in shifts, but our team in Jerusalem always comprises 10 or 12 individuals. The atmosphere here is truly unique; we have received a warm welcome and established strong bonds with everyone.”

Stasolla, part of the archaeological team conducting work at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, explained that their group frequently partners with experts including geologists, archaeobotanists, or archaeozoologists from Rome.

The church was undergoing restoration work in March 2025.

“We take turns, but our team in Jerusalem always includes 10 or 12 people,” Stasolla said.

“The atmosphere here is very special; we have been welcomed warmly and built strong relationships with everyone.”

From time to time, specialists from Rome travel to join the team in Jerusalem.

The excavation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is being undertaken by archaeologists from the Sapienza University of Rome. (Archivio Università di Roma La Sapienza).

“However, most of our team remains based in Rome, where we send the data for the post-production work,” Stasolla added.

“While we have not been able to see the entire church excavated in one glance, new technologies are allowing us to reconstruct the bigger picture in our labs,” Stasolla noted.

“If we were talking about a puzzle, we could say we are only excavating one piece at a time, but eventually, we will have a complete multimedia reconstruction of the full picture.”

The Holy Sepulchre, a location of deep historical importance, has weathered a turbulent past filled with cycles of destruction and rebuilding.

First built in the fourth century by Emperor Constantine, the initial Christian convert among Roman emperors, the church has endured multiple catastrophes including a catastrophic blaze started by Persians in the seventh century and an assault by caliph al-Hakim in 1009.

Its present-day form is largely attributed to the major reconstruction work completed during the Crusader era in the 12th century.

Stasolla explains that the concealed layers below the church’s floor, similar to a historical record, provide an extraordinary account of Jerusalem’s history, extending back to the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE).

“The church is built on a quarry, which isn’t surprising as a large portion of the Old City of Jerusalem is situated on a quarry,” said Stasolla. “The quarry was operational during the Iron Age. During our excavation, we discovered pottery, lamps, and other everyday items from that era.”

Following the quarry’s closure and before to the church’s establishment, the site was used for farming activities.

“Low stone walls were constructed, and the space between them was filled with soil,” explained Stasolla.

“The archaeobotanical findings have been particularly intriguing for us, given what is mentioned in the Gospel of John, believed to be written or compiled by someone familiar with Jerusalem at the time.

“The Gospel refers to a green area between the Calvary and the tomb, and we identified these cultivated fields.”

Excavations at a Jerusalem location dating to Jesus’ era, recognized both as a quarry and an ancient necropolis filled with rock-hewn tombs, have illuminated the Constantine period.

An expert noted: “We need to imagine that as the quarry was progressively abandoned, tombs were carved at different levels.”

The location evidently holds numerous burials from that period, including the one honored as Jesus’ tomb, which Constantine separated during construction around what is today the rotunda.

The expert said: “The area, therefore, featured several burials from that period. Constantine selected the one that had been venerated as the tomb where Jesus was buried, and he excavated around it in the area that corresponds to the current rotunda, isolating it from the other burials.”

Inside the Holy Sepulchre compound, multiple ancient burial sites exist, including one thought to belong to Joseph of Arimathea who, according to Christian tradition, offered his own burial chamber for Jesus.

Stasolla’s team unearthed numerous artifacts believed to date back to the 4th century.

Digging beneath the existing structure, Stasolla explained: “Under the current aedicule, we found a circular basis that is part of the first monumentalization of the tomb, made out of marble.”

Emphasizing the importance of the discovery, Stasheolla went on to say: “It is interesting because the most ancient depictions of the aedicule, which date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, describe it as circular. We therefore believe that this circular basis was part of the original structure built by Constantine.”

Further examination of this remarkable artifact, which stretches an impressive six meters (nearly 20 feet) in diameter, is expected to provide scholars with a deeper understanding of the storied history of this iconic structure.

“We are conducting geological analysis to verify the origin of the marble, and we are also testing the mortar,” Stasolla explained.

“Both tests can provide us with crucial information.”

Among other noteworthy discoveries, researchers have uncovered a collection of coins originating from the fourth century in the structure’s eastern section.

The oldest coin traces back to the reign of Constantius II (337–361 CE), while the most recent are from the period of Valens (374–378 CE).

Additionally, the archaeological team has discovered hundreds of animal bones, remnants of ancient banquets shared by priests and pilgrims.

A preliminary report published in the prestigious “Liber Annuus,” journal in 2023 carefully details findings from a structural trench dating to the Crusader era, as well as from a modern manhole pit, both locations yielding various remains including those of sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, and pigeons, along with an abundance of fish remains.

Particularly noteworthy were a ponyfish indigenous to the Indo-Pacific Ocean and a cod from the Atlantic.

“We also discovered several shells of a terrestrial snail species that is still consumed today,” Stasolla noted.

“This species originated here and spread around the Mediterranean following the Crusades.”

The archaeologist stressed that only following a comprehensive analysis of the discovered bones can we achieve a fuller understanding of the evolving dietary patterns of those who inhabited and visited the Church throughout the centuries.

With approximately 100,000 pottery fragments among the excavation finds, researchers anticipate it will require years to examine everything.

Nevertheless, excavations are scheduled to resume after Easter and are anticipated to conclude within months.

“We only have a part of the northern aisle left to excavate,” Stasolla revealed. When questioned about archaeology’s ability to definitively confirm Jesus’s burial at the Holy Sepulchre, Stasolla emphasized the need to separate faith from historical evidence.

“However, it is the faith of those who have believed in the sanctity of this site for millennia that has allowed it to exist and evolve,” she noted. “This is true for all holy sites.

“The real treasure we are uncovering is the history of the people who made this site what it is by expressing their faith here,” she added.

“Whether someone believes or not in the historicity of the Holy Sepulchre, the fact that generations of people did is objective. The history of this place is the history of Jerusalem, and from a certain point, it is the history of the worship of Jesus Christ.”