Embedded Files
Wednesday, June 21
Do you know where the passion of Christ occurred? Let’s review what the Gospel of John says about the place of Jesus’ death and burial.
"Carrying his own cross, he went out to the Place of the Skull, called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle." (John 19:17-18)
"At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid." (John 19:41)
"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance." (John 20:1)
"Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed." (John 20:8)
How do these quotations help us narrow down the location?
1. We can assume that the final moments of Jesus’ passion were not within Jerusalem proper. There was a long-standing practice to bury bodies outside of the city for faith, for reverence, and for sanitation.
2. Golgotha apparently had a reputation connected with death and skulls.
3. The crucifixion and burial happened very close to each other in a garden. Jesus was taken down from the cross, then placed in a new tomb.
4. A stone covered the entrance.
5. The tomb was large enough to fit at least two people.
With those details in mind, let’s take a look at the Garden Tomb.
Does it meet the Gospel criteria?
1. It’s outside of the city walls, just beyond the Damascus Gate.
2. It has a sinister rock hill nearby with what could be interpreted as a skull.
3. The hill is next to a garden. The tomb does contain a place for multiple bodies, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t new at the time.
4. The tomb was built to support a stone covering.
5. The tomb is large enough to fit two or more people.
And frankly, it looks just like you would expect from the Gospel account.
Many people believe this is the tomb of Jesus. But how should we make our determination? Some rely on passionate arguments, on feelings, or on faith. For another approach, let's see what archaeology has to say.
The tomb closely resembles a type built between 700-800 BCE, hundreds of years eariler. Most Jewish tombs during the time of Jesus had a unique feature called loculi. These are niches carved directly into the stone. The problem is that the Garden Tomb doesn’t contain loculi which would be contempory with the Heriodian period. The grove for the stone covering and other structures were shown to be built during the Crusader era (1000 years later). And finally, the tomb has very little tradition attached to it. In other words, not many people visited in antiquity. If it was Christ’s resting place, you’d expect a lot of traffic for the last 2000 years. It was popularized in the late 1800s by a man who really believed in it. However, archaeologists require more than belief. In the case of the Garden Tomb, it’s compelling at first, but evidence weakens under scrutiny. What do you think?
Thousands of people visit each day, with the majority being Protestants and Mormons. When I was there, I saw large tour groups reverently chanting along with individual families on pilgrimages.
My next stop was the Pool of Bethesda. This is where Jesus healed a man who was unable to walk (John 5:1-15). Jesus performed many miracles, but this is my favorite. The reason is because it demonstrates his rebellious nature. Jewish law forbids people from working on the Sabbath, but he intentionally broke one of the commandments to help someone else. This showed the stark difference between the Old Covenant and the New. It’s also one of the best examples of the difference between the “letter” and the “spirit” of the law.
The Church of Saint Anne is on the same property as the Pool of Bethesda. It is said to be built over the birthplace of Mary. I decended into the grotto to find notes from the faithful and even a representation of her crown.
The church is famous for its acoustics. Sure enough, I was able to hear it live when a group of pilgrams visited the alter and began to sing.
One of the amazing things about Jerusalem is that it has a way of changing even the best laid plans. My next stop was the Terra Sancta Museum to see some archaeology. The building is on the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus took on the way to his crucifixion. Many people know it as the Stations of the Cross. Friday is the day when believers officially recreate the path, so my plans included avoiding those crowds. What I didn’t know is that the journey happens unofficially almost every day. No matter how I tried to maneuver around, I was swept along with the crowd of pilgrims. My twelve years of Catholic education gave me an advantage. I knew all the songs!
My final stop of the day was the Cenacle, a possible location of the Last Supper. This event is the cornerstone of the Mass, recreated thousands of times per day all over the world. While I was there, I was able to experience its impact. The first group I saw was from Germany, the second was from Indonesia, and the one below was from Malawi. The Word in action.
One final story: I’ve been proud of myself embracing Mediterranean food. I’ve had a heck of a lot of shawarma and falafel. The plate is always delivered with flat laffa bread, hummus, cabbage, lettuce, and peppers. Yum! But this American boy needed something from home. I was walking by a restaurant that advertised hot dogs. I excitedly sat down and ordered. Dreams of a cheesy Cincinnati chili dog filled my mind. Instead, I was delivered plate with laffa bread, hummus, cabbage, lettuce, peppers...and three plain hot dogs.
Report abuse