- Also called:
- Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
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What is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a church located in the Old City of Jerusalem that is built on the traditional site of Jesusā Crucifixion and burial. The church was designed to enclose the site of both the cross and the tomb. Constantine the Great first built a church on the site, and it was dedicated about 336 CE.
Various Christian groups, including the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and Coptic churches, control parts of the present church and conduct services regularly. Since the Ayyubid period (1187ā1229) the only key to the church has been entrusted to a Muslim family in order to prevent conflict between the clerics.
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Where is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre located?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in the northwest quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is built on the traditional site of Jesusā crucifixion and burial. The church was designed to enclose the locations of both the cross and the tomb. Constantine the Great first built a church on the site, which was dedicated about 336 CE. Various Christian groups, including the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and Coptic churches, control parts of the present church and conduct services regularly.
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Why is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre important to Christians?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is of immense importance to Christians as it is built on the traditional site of Jesusā Crucifixion and burial. The church was designed to enclose both the site of the cross and the tomb. The Rock of Calvary, where the Crucifixion is believed to have occurred, is encased in glass at the Altar of the Crucifixion and is the most-visited area within the church. The site is also venerated as the location where St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, located the True Cross. Various Christian groups regularly conduct services there.
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What events from the life of Jesus are connected to this church?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built on the traditional site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial. The Bible states that Jesus' tomb was near the site of his crucifixion; the church was designed to enclose both.
Key events connected to the church:
* Crucifixion The Rock of Calvary, believed to be where the Crucifixion occurred, is encased in glass at the Altar of the Crucifixion.
* Burial and Resurrection The church encompasses the traditional site of Jesus' tomb, which was opened for the first time in centuries in 2016 during a restoration.
* Finding of the True Cross The church is also venerated as the location where St. Helena located the True Cross of Christās Crucifixion. The Chapel of St. Helena was built by the Crusaders in her honor, and below it lies the Chapel of the Finding of the True Cross, in which the relic was reportedly discovered.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre shared by different Christian groups?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is a significant Christian site believed to encompass the locations of Jesusā Crucifixion and burial.
Various Christian groups, including the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and other Christian communities, share the administration of different sections of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and conduct services regularly. To prevent conflict between the clerics, the key to the church has been entrusted to a Muslim family since the Ayyubid period (1187ā1229).
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some important features and areas inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is built on the traditional site of Jesus' Crucifixion and burial. The most-visited area within the church is the Altar of the Crucifixion, which encases the Rock of Calvary.
The Edicule, a shrine that encloses the tomb, underwent significant restoration in 2016, during which the tomb was opened for the first time in centuries. The Chapel of St. Helena, built by the Crusaders, stands above the Chapel of the Finding of the True Cross, where the relic was reportedly discovered.
Various Christian groups, such as the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and Coptic churches, control parts of the church and conduct services regularly.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, church built on the traditional site of Jesusā Crucifixion and burial. According to the Bible (John 19:41ā42), his tomb was close to the place of the Crucifixion, and so the church was planned to enclose the site of both the cross and the tomb.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre lies in the northwest quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Constantine the Great first built a church on the site. It was dedicated about 336 ce, burned by the Persians in 614, restored by Modestus (the abbot of the monastery of Theodosius, 616ā626), destroyed by the caliph al-įø¤Äkim bi-Amr AllÄh about 1009, and restored by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachus. In the 12th century the Crusaders carried out a general rebuilding of the church. Since that time, frequent repair, restoration, and remodeling have been necessary. The present church dates mainly from 1810.
In 2016 the shrine that encloses the tomb, known as the Edicule, underwent a significant restoration, and the tomb itself was opened for the first time in centuries. Samples of mortar were taken from between the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab that covers it, and the pieces were dated to about 345; previous archaeological evidence dated only to the Crusader period. This finding provides evidence for the earliest shrine on the site, and other dated samples have confirmed the historical sequences of rebuilding there.
This site has been continuously recognized since the 4th century as the place where Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Indeed, the Rock of Calvary, where the Crucifixion is believed to have occurred, is encased in glass at the lavish Altar of the Crucifixion and is the most-visited area within the church. Whether it is the actual location, however, has been hotly debated. It cannot be determined that Christians during the first three centuries ce could or did preserve an authentic tradition as to where these events occurred. Members of the Christian church in Jerusalem fled to Pella about 66 ce, and Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 ce. Wars, destruction, and confusion during the following centuries possibly prevented preservation of exact information. Another question involves the course of the second north wall of ancient Jerusalem. Some archaeological remains on the east and south sides of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are widely interpreted to mark the course of the second wall. If so, the site of the church lay just outside the city wall in the time of Jesus, and this could be the actual place of his Crucifixion and burial. No rival site is supported by any real evidence. See also Golgotha and St. Joseph of Arimathea.
The site is also venerated as the location where St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, located the True Cross of Christās Crucifixion. The Chapel of St. Helena was built by the Crusaders in her honor, and below it lies the Chapel of the Finding of the True Cross, in which the relic was reportedly discovered.
Various Christian groups, including the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and Coptic churches, control parts of the present church and conduct services regularly.
