According to the gospel accounts, Jesus was buried in a tomb which originally belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man who, believing Jesus was the Messiah, offered his own sepulcher for the burial of Jesus. According to Christian tradition, the tomb of Jesus is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Tomb of Jesus in the context of Burial of Jesus
The burial of Jesus refers to the entombment of the body of Jesus after his crucifixion before the eve of the sabbath. This event is described in the New Testament. According to the canonical gospel narratives, he was placed in a tomb by a councillor of the Sanhedrin named Joseph of Arimathea; according to Acts 13:28–29, he was laid in a tomb by "the council as a whole". In art, it is often called the Entombment of Christ.
In this Dossier
Tomb of Jesus in the context of Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is simultaneously the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Catholic Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It is the holiest site in Christianity and it has been an important pilgrimage site for Christians since the fourth century.
According to traditions dating to the fourth century, the church contains both the site where Jesus was crucified at Calvary, or Golgotha, and the location of Jesus's empty tomb, where he was buried and, resurrected. Both locations are considered immensely holy sites by most Christians. The church and rotunda was built under Constantine the Great in the 4th century and destroyed by al-Hakim in 1009. Al-Hakim's son allowed Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos to reconstruct the church, which was completed in 1048. After it was captured by the crusaders in 1099, it continued to undergo modifications, resulting in a significant departure from the original structure. Several renovations and restorations were made under the Ottomans. The tomb itself is enclosed by a 19th-century shrine called the Aedicule.
Tomb of Jesus in the context of Empty tomb
The empty tomb is the Christian tradition that the tomb of Jesus was found empty after his crucifixion. The canonical gospels each describe the visit of women to Jesus' tomb. Although Jesus' body had been laid out in the tomb after crucifixion and death, the tomb is found to be empty, the body gone, and the women are told by angels (or a "young man [...] dressed in a white robe") that he has risen.
In the Jewish, Greek, and Roman context, beliefs about resurrection varied, and early Christians were aware of other resurrection or “assumption” stories, yet positioned Jesus’ resurrection as unique and salvific. The composition and classification of the empty tomb as an "assumption" or "translation" story have been the subject of considerable debate. Scholars debate its historicity, with some suggesting Mark invented or adapted it, while others argue independent attestations in Mark and John point to an early shared tradition. Scholars disagree on whether the empty tomb by itself substantiates the resurrection; some connect it to post-resurrection appearances, while others, such as Bart D. Ehrman, view it as a theological narrative crafted to highlight Jesus’ bodily resurrection.
Tomb of Jesus in the context of Mary (mother of James the Less)
Mary, mother of James is identified in the synoptic gospels as one of the women who went to Jesus' tomb after he was buried. Mark 16 (Mark 16:1) and Luke 24 (Luke 24:10) refer to "Mary the mother of James" as one of the Myrrhbearers, the women who went to the tomb of Jesus.
Along with Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas, Mary the mother of James is known as one of the Three Marys.