ISTANBUL : Archaeologists have uncovered a long-lost altar at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a site believed to be where Jesus was buried and resurrected. The discovery was made when construction workers turned over a massive stone slab covered in graffiti, which was leaning against a wall of the church.
The stone slab, measuring 8 meters (26 feet) long and 5 meters wide, was adorned with Roman influences during the Middle Ages and is said to have been consecrated in 1149. It was believed that the altar was destroyed in a fire in 1808, but the research team from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) stated, “This finding is sensationally important for historians in many ways.”
The team noted the remarkable fact that such an artifact remained hidden for so long in a well-researched structure like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which attracts thousands of visitors daily.
Located in Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a significant Christian church and is considered one of Christianity’s most sacred sites, as it is believed to be where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. The church is a major pilgrimage destination and is shared by various Christian denominations, including Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian Christians.
The church was built in A.D. 335 by Roman Emperor Constantine I, on top of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus. During its construction, a tomb believed to belong to Jesus was also uncovered.
Throughout history, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been attacked multiple times. It was damaged by the Persian army in 614, nearly destroyed in 1009 and suffered significant damage in a fire in the 1800s. It was during this fire that the altar was thought to have been lost.
The graffiti on the front of the stone slab might have contributed to its long period of being unnoticed. However, unusual decorations on the side facing the wall led researchers to conclude that it might have been adorned using the “Cosmatesque” technique.
The Cosmatesque technique is a skill passed down through generations in Rome, involving the precise arrangement of small marble pieces to create intricate geometric patterns.
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