Tomb of Jesus at Risk of Collapse

Newly restored, but new problems discovered.

March 27, 2017

After a $4 million restoration, the Edicule, enclosing what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, was reopened to the public. (The Guardian, The New York Times)

“For the first time in over two centuries, this sacred edicule has been restored. This is not only a gift to our holy land, but to the whole world.”
— Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

However, the scientific team from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) that completed the restoration is warning of a newly-discovered risk of the Edicule’s  collapse.

“When it fails, the failure will not be a slow process, but catastrophic.”
— Antonia Moropoulou, NTUA’s chief scientific supervisor

Ground-penetrating radar and robotic cameras reveal that the Edicle and the rotunda that protects it are built on an unstable foundation of the crumbled remains of earlier structures, honeycombed with tunnels. (National Geographic)

[Read more and see photos here . . . ]