Tomb of Christ opened for the first time in centuries.
Researchers have uncovered the original surface of what is traditionally considered the tomb of Jesus Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The tomb's surface had been covered by a thick layer of marble, according to an exclusive by National Geographic. This has now been removed to reveal the tomb for the first time since at least 1555 CE, and possibly much earlier. "The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it," said Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society working at the site. "It will be a long scientific analysis, but we will finally be able to see the original rock surface on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid." The shelf on which the body of Christ is said to have rested after his crucifixion is now protected by a structure called an Edicule. This covering is being restored by a team of scientists d...