Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025
Sapienza University's dig under the church floor: a Roman quarry, traces of a garden, and the tomb's early marble
Found 2022 — Francesca Romana Stasolla (Sapienza University of Rome), with the agreement of the Greek Orthodox, Latin (Franciscan) and Armenian custodians
Where Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian Quarter, Old City, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel (Old City))
Dates from Quarry c. 8th century BCE – 1st century BCE; garden and tombs 1st century CE; church from 326 CE · Iron Age quarry to Early Roman garden to Constantinian church · The crucifixion and burial of Yeshua (Jesus), c. 30 CE
Now at In situ beneath the church; samples in study at Sapienza University of Rome
How Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025 was found
The first scientific excavation beneath the church floor, carried out in sections as the pavement was renewed from 2022 onward, with the Aedicule area reached in 2024–2025. Sediment samples were studied for pollen and plant remains; results were previewed in March 2025 with full publication pending.
What it is
Beneath the floor the team found the worked faces of a limestone quarry active from the Iron Age until the Hellenistic period, then a layer of agricultural soil with low stone walls, and botanical traces (pollen and plant remains) of olive trees and grapevines dated to about 2,000 years ago. Rock-cut tombs of the 1st century flank the area. Under the Aedicule they recorded a circular marble base and marble slabs that appear to belong to the earliest Constantinian dressing of the tomb.
Why it matters for the Bible
John says the crucifixion site was near a garden with a new tomb, and the church has always claimed to stand over both. The dig confirms the sequence that a genuine 1st-century burial ground outside the walls would show: an abandoned quarry turned into cultivated land with tombs cut in its sides. It does not, and cannot, prove which tomb was Yeshua's, but it removes the old objection that the site was inside the city or unsuited for burials.
The Hebrew word: gahn
גַּן
גַּן is pronounced gahn and means garden (Strong's H1588 / G2779).
People this discovery connects to
- Jesus — יֵשׁוּעַ (yeh-SHOO-ah) — YHVH saves
- Joseph of Arimathea — יוֹסֵף (yoh-SEF) — he adds
Places
- Golgotha — גֻּלְגֹּלֶת (gool-GOH-let) — skull
Events
The burial of Yeshua in a garden tomb · Constantine's building of the church, 326–335 CE
Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025 in Scripture
Matthew 27:33 First mention of Golgotha in Scripture.
John 19:41 'In the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb'; the dig found garden soil and olive-and-vine traces between the quarry and the tombs.
John 20:15 Miriam mistakes the risen Yeshua for the gardener, which fits a cultivated plot around the tomb.
Questions people ask
What is Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025?
Beneath the floor the team found the worked faces of a limestone quarry active from the Iron Age until the Hellenistic period, then a layer of agricultural soil with low stone walls, and botanical traces (pollen and plant remains) of olive trees and grapevines dated to about 2,000 years ago. Rock-cut tombs of the 1st century flank the area. Under the Aedicule they recorded a circular marble base and marble slabs that appear to belong to the earliest Constantinian dressing of the tomb.
When was Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025 discovered?
It was found in 2022 by Francesca Romana Stasolla (Sapienza University of Rome), with the agreement of the Greek Orthodox, Latin (Franciscan) and Armenian custodians, at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian Quarter, Old City, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025 today?
In situ beneath the church; samples in study at Sapienza University of Rome.
Which Bible verses does Holy Sepulchre Excavations of 2022–2025 relate to?
Matthew 27:33, John 19:41, John 20:15.
Related discoveries
- גֻּלְגֹּלֶתChurch of the Holy Sepulchre: Golgotha and the TombA 1st-century quarry, garden and rock-cut tombs beneath the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial
- גֻּלְגֹּלֶתSkull Hill (Gordon's Calvary)The rocky knoll above the East Jerusalem bus station that Protestants proposed as Golgotha
- יֵשׁוּעַThe Talpiot Tomb ('Jesus Family Tomb')A first-century family tomb with common names that a 2007 film claimed held Yeshua's family
- דְּבָרִיםOxyrhynchus Papyri and the Gospel of Thomas FragmentsA rubbish-heap of Roman Egypt yielding the earliest 'Sayings of Yeshua' and dozens of New Testament pieces
- צְלָבAlexamenos GraffitoThe earliest picture of the crucifixion — a mocking scratch on a Roman wall
- כְּלֵי אֶבֶןCana: Khirbet Qana and Kafr KannaTwo candidates for the village of the water-into-wine sign
Sources
- Times of Israel, 'Echoing Gospel account, traces of ancient garden found under Church of Holy Sepulchre' (Mar 2025)
- Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 'The Stones Speak: Excavations Reshaping the History of the Holy Sepulchre'
- Archaeology News, 'Ancient garden found at Jesus Christ's burial site' (Apr 2025)
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