Devotion

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is said to rest on holy ground. Tradition says the structure sits on Golgotha or Calvary—the place the New Testament describes as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. The church originally had three parts to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Though it is now within the wall Old City of Jerusalem, in Jesus’ time, the site would have been outside the city—where crucifixions were carried out. Nearby was a cemetery many thought included a tomb prepared for a wealthy Jew named Joseph of Arimathea. The New Testament says Joseph offered a burial place to the Lord (Matthew 27:57-60).

In AD 325, Constantine I, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, gave his mother, Helena, the task of restoring Jerusalem’s Christian holy sites. The two toured the city and discovered that pagan temples had been built over what were believed to be Calvary and Jesus’ tomb. The temples were destroyed, the stones carried away, and a magnificent basilica constructed. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre dates to about AD 333 and also covers a cistern where Helena is said to have found portions of the cross. A stone that some believe to be part of the boulder that sealed Jesus’ tomb is also displayed. As Jerusalem changed hands over the centuries, the church was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Today’s version—less grandiose than the original—was built in 1099 by the Christian Crusaders. Each year, thousands of Christian visit this curious conglomeration of altars, chapels, columned courtyards, and architectural styles.