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The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is one of
Christendom's most sacred sites and
while religious opinion differs, most Protestants believe
it to be the place of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The bible
tells of a rich Christian named Joseph of Arimathea who petitioned Pilate for Jesus` corpse.
On receiving the body, he wrapped it in a linen shroud and placed in a tomb cut
in the base of a cliff beneath what is now the East Jerusalem bus station. Rolling a large stone across the entrance he then left the scene. Following the
end of the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary Salome are said to have gone to the tomb in order to anoint Jesus` body but they found the stone had been dragged aside and a
young man, wearing white robes appeared and uttered the immortal words `Fear not. Jesus of Nazareth has risen ! `
Mark 16:1-6. The claim by the devout Christian woman, Helena of Constantinople, to have found sacred artefacts - nails and fragments of the True Cross- in the vicinity adds weight to the cave theory.
Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenian and
followers of the Coptic faith believe the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre
is built over the spot where Jesus was buried and both holy places should be seen by all religious tourists visiting Jerusalem. The Garden Tomb is a quiet
corner to reflect on these central events in the history of Christianity.
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