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phileasfogg
phileasfogg
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Editor Pick

A Beautifully Kept Garden Housing Jesus' Tomb??

  • October 30, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by karly07 from Belfast, United Kingdom
A Beautifully Kept Garden Housing Jesus' Tomb??

Jersualem is a city of enormous value to at least 3 major religions in the world - Jews, Muslims and Christians. Many Christian pilgrims coming to Jerusalem are surprised to find little mention of Jesus, who they believe was crucificed in this ancient city. However, with a trusty guide book and a decent map of the Old City of Jerusalem, Christian pilgrims can find some of the supposed religious sites mentioned in the Bible.

One of these sites, over which there is a huge amount of speculation as to its authenticity is the Garden Tomb. This particular garden/site is actually located in an muslim area of Jerusalem outside of the city walls, not far from the Damascus gate. A good map of the Old City picked up from the tourist information office will be particularly useful.

The reason for so many pilgrimages to the Garden Tomb is due to the fact that is one of the possible sites of Joseph of Arimathea's tomb, in which the body of Jesus was placed after he was crucified, and from which the Bible says he rose again. it is also the place in which the angel is said to have appeared to the women to tell them that Jesus had risen.

The Garden Tomb is run by an independent British charity based Organisation called the Garden Tomb Association. It is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, but does shut at lunchtime, so plan your visit carefully. There is no admission fee into the Garden Tomb, and instead it is able to run solely on the voluntary donations of visitors and supporters of the charity. If you are travelling as part of a group, it is advisable that you pre book your tour at the Garden, however, if you are travelling independently, like us, you are free to simply walk in, although it is a wise idea to wait until the next available tour guide who wil give you a more detailed explanation of the tomb and garden.

We decided it was best to wait for a tour guide, as so had a little time to look around the nice little gift shop on site. This shop was remarkably less 'tacky' than some of the others that we had seen whilst travelling around Israel.

It wasn't long before the next tour guide became available, and he spoke with wonderful english, and was extremely knowledgable about the site and about the scriptures.

As the name suggests this is the site of a beautifully kept garden, which also offers some welcome shade from the intense summer heat. There are also little seating areas with covered shade allowing visitors to relax and enjoy the beauty of the lush garden, away from the bustling streets outside. This garden holds frequent worship services during the year, particularly around Easter time, for obvious reasons.

Our first stop along our short tour was near 'Skull Hill'. The actual hill is outside the boundaries of the garden, but you can clearly see the shape of two eyes, a nose and mouth in the rock, eerily looking like a human skull in the rock. This used to be part of an ancient quarry, and is said to be a place where Jews executed people by stoning them. Our guide did however tell us, that it was unlikely to be the place of Jesus' execution on the cross, as the Romans would have most likely carried this out by the roadside as a deterrent to others, as opposed to on a hillside. Due to the fact that the Bible states that Jesus was crucificied at the 'place of the skull' or Golgotha, it is easy to see why some speculate that this is the actual place of the crucifixion.

We then moved on to look at the ancient cistern which is the third largest water cistern in Jerusalem. This can be dated back to the 1st century AD, and suggests that this garden was once part of a working garden possible housing an olive grove or orchard. The garden site also holds an ancient wine press.

The final part of our tour finished with the most important part of the garden - the tomb itself. Due to the findings of the cistern and winepress, archaeologists have confirmed that this would once have been the garden of a wealthy man. This tomb was only discovered in 1867, but has been slightly damaged probably due to an earthquake, and some of the front of it has been repaired by stone. Although not all are in agreement, most archaelogists support the idea that this was a typical tomb of the 1st century AD. At the front of this tomb, which has been cut out of solid rock, is a channel for a large rolling stone.

Visitors are able to enter the tomb, and inside will see a large chamber for mourners to stand, and then the actual burial place. The burial chamber itself is blocked off by metal bars, but visitors can see what a typical burial chamber would have looked like at the time of Jesus' death.

There are many reasons for visitors long believing that this is the actual tomb that Jesus was laid in, as it belonged to a rich man, it was cut out of stone, it has a channel for a rolling stone, and it has a weeping chamber inside the tomb for mourners - all of these are recorded in the Bible. However, this site will always be in competition with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the true site of the execution and burial place of Jesus, and it is worth visiting both to compare and contrast the two, before making your own mind up. Certainly this garden tomb, is a beautiful tranquil spot, and most Christian pilgrims would prefer the true site to be here, rather than the more overt Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but regardless of this, it is an excellent place to visit, in a wonderful setting with a great tour guide.

From journal An unforgettable independent trip to Israel and Jordan

The Garden Tomb

  • August 12, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by aroy from Russell Springs, Kentucky
The Garden Tomb

We visited the garden tomb where they believe Jesus was laid, but now it is empty. You can walk inside and view it and the garden outside it, they are nice.

From journal Trip to the Holy Land

Editor Pick

The Garden Tomb

  • July 4, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by phileasfogg from New Delhi, India
The Garden Tomb

More popular belief has it that Jesus Christ was buried at the place where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre now stands, at the end of the Via Dolorosa. What is now being put forward as a very likely contender for the same honour is the Garden Tomb. Biblical historians and researchers present a number of interesting facts to support the claim: one, that Jesus was crucified and buried outside the city, which makes this area- outside the walls of Jerusalem- a more plausible site than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Bible says that Jesus was laid in an unused tomb (one owned by Joseph of Arimathaea)- which is also true; the Garden Tomb is actually an unfinished tomb. What’s most interesting is the fact that Jesus had been crucified at Golgotha- literally `The Place of the Skull’- and the hill facing the Garden Tomb looks eerily like a human skull, complete with eye sockets and gaping mouth.

Whatever it may be, the Garden Tomb’s worth a visit. We went here on a warm afternoon, and even though the place was crowded, it wasn’t the jostling, noisy mass you’d have expected it to be. The tomb lies amidst a very well-maintained garden, full of cyclamens and rosemary, and with plenty of benches where you can sit. Volunteers take visitors around on a guided tour of the entire area, explaining its history. You can buy souvenirs at the local shop, or just take the sprig of fragrant rosemary which is gifted to every visitor.

Entry to the Garden Tomb is free.

From journal A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

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