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The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is one of
Christendom's most sacred sites and while religious opinion differs, a
majority of 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 Pontius Pilate for Jesus` corpse. On receiving the body, he
had it wrapped in a linen shroud and placed in a cave at the base of a
cliff, beneath what is now East Jerusalem bus station. Rolling a large stone
across the entrance he then left the scene. At the end of the Sabbath, Mary
Magdalene and Mary Salome are said to have gone to the tomb, in order to
anoint the body, but they found the stone dragged aside and a young man,
wearing white robes, appeared before them and uttered the immortal words:
`Fear not. Jesus of Nazareth has risen.` (Mark 16:1-6). The claim by the
devout Christian, 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. Both these holy places should be seen by all
religious tourists visiting Jerusalem, the Garden Tomb being a quiet corner
to reflect on these central events in the history of Christianity.
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