Archaeologists uncover ancient burial sites and agricultural landscape under Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, aligning with Gospel descriptions.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a site revered by millions of Christians as the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, has revealed new archaeological insights beneath its ancient floor. A comprehensive excavation project, which began in March 2022 and concluded in late 2025, has uncovered evidence of an ancient landscape that aligns with biblical descriptions. The findings, detailed in a 98-page preliminary report published in the archaeological journal Liber Annous of the Franciscan Institute of the Bible in Jerusalem, offer a glimpse into the region’s history during the time of Jesus.

Led by archaeologist and excavation team head Prof. Francesca Romana Stasula, the project uncovered remnants of an ancient burial landscape, alongside small farm plots where vines and olive trees were cultivated. These discoveries suggest a rural setting with occasional human activity, reflecting the daily life of the area during the early centuries of the Common Era. The findings indicate that the site where the church now stands was once a large stone quarry operating outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

After the quarry’s operation ceased, the deep areas were covered with soil and divided by low stone fences into small agricultural plots. Archaeobotanic examinations and pollen remains confirm that the area was used for farming and grazing. Prof. Stasula explained that the botanical evidence and pollen findings allowed researchers to reconstruct a Mediterranean landscape suitable for grazing and micro-farming, which coexisted with the abandoned quarry and rock-cut burial caves.

The bare mountainside of the quarry also served as a site for family burial caves. Researchers discovered several rock-hewn tombs built at different heights around the quarry, connected by narrow paths that ran through the cultivation plots. This arrangement corresponds closely with the description in the Gospel of John, which mentions a location connected to the city through a geographical gate.

The archaeological dating places the period of agricultural cultivation and burial between the abandonment of the quarry and the rebuilding of Jerusalem by the Roman emperor Hadrian in the second century C.E. This window of time includes the period of Jesus’ life. The findings provide a tangible link between the historical and biblical narratives, offering a deeper understanding of the landscape that shaped early Christian traditions.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Hebrew)