Archaeologists Uncover Burial Landscape Beneath Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre That Mirrors New Testament Descriptions

Archaeologists led by Francesca Romana Stasolla of Sapienza University of Rome documented limestone quarry cavities, cultivated plots with vines and olive trees, and rock-cut burial chambers beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The excavation, begun in 2022 during a floor-restoration project and entering its final phases in 2025, revealed quarry depths of about 20 feet that were later backfilled and used for agriculture. An archaeobotanical analysis identified cereals, figs, olive wood and pollen from herbaceous species, matching the “garden” motif described in John 19:41.

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The site has been venerated for nearly 1,700 years as the location of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Roman Emperor Hadrian’s second-century construction blocked access to an earlier burial chamber; two centuries later, under Emperor Constantine, the blockage was removed and the chamber became the focal point of a Christian shrine that later evolved into the fourth-century basilica.

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• 2022 – Excavation commenced alongside restoration of the church floor.

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• 2023 – Report documented the original church apse and a Roman street beneath it.

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• 2025 – Preliminary report in *Liber Annuus* described the quarry, garden, and burial features; archaeobotanical study reported cultivated plant remains.

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• 2025 – Final phases confirmed the stratigraphic sequence and topographical reconstruction.

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• 2026 – First volume of a planned series on the excavation was released, highlighting the site’s transformation from quarry to imperial basilica.

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• Quarry cavities reach depths of approximately 20 feet.

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• Four sampling areas yielded cereals, figs, olive wood, and pollen from herbaceous species.

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• The burial chambers are rock-cut, consistent with Gospel accounts of a tomb hewn from stone.

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Stasolla noted that the chamber’s incorporation into Constantine’s fourth-century basilica shows Christian veneration by that period, though continuous tradition from the first century cannot be confirmed. The Studium Biblicum Franciscanum called the project an “unprecedented collaboration” among Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian custodians, archaeologists, engineers, historians, and conservation specialists.

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• “We have found evidence of a funerary landscape, alongside small areas planted with vines and olive trees,” — Francesca Romana Stasolla

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• “Whether someone believes or not in the historicity of the Holy Sepulchre, the fact that generations of people did is objective,” — Francesca Romana Stasolla

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Some scholars argue that the nearby Garden Tomb better fits the biblical description. The excavation has not uncovered human remains, and the team acknowledges that the evidence does not establish the identity of the interred individual.

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The discovery provides the first broad topographical reconstruction of the Holy Sepulchre complex, linking its Roman quarry origins, early Christian burial use, and later veneration. By bringing together the Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian communities that share responsibility for the church, the project demonstrates a rare ecumenical partnership in the stewardship of a site central to Christian pilgrimage.

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