The walls of the old city
However, there was a discrepancy between what the Bible said and the current location of the Edicule. According to the Bible, Jesus was buried outside the city walls. The problem is that the current church and tomb are located within the walls of Jerusalem’s old city. This fueled more scepticism about the Edicule’s location.
To dispel these fears, recent discoveries show that the walls have been expanded. During Jesus’ death, the church would have been located outside of the city. So far, the evidence has pointed to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the true host of Jesus’ tomb.
The restoration strategy
When the monks of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre agreed to let the Athens team restore the church, they had a few conditions. The most important is that the existing structure should not be changed.
The 2016 excavation crew intended to start with the water damage and mould. They would then reinforce the Edicule’s exterior to prevent it from collapsing. Finally, they will dig up Jesus’ tomb.
The project gets underway.
It took about ten months to restore just the Edicule’s exterior. They had to remove the water damage and mould by hand, taking great care not to damage the original structure or materials. They also inserted modern screws to help strengthen the foundation and walls to ensure the structure’s stability for a few more centuries.
Remember how the Franciscan monks sealed the tomb with a slab of marble to keep pilgrims out? For the first time since it was laid there, the 2016 excavation team was able to reach it and move it. During the renovation, the team and monks had been looking forward to this moment.
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