Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama)
The only 1st-century burial shroud from Jerusalem, with the remains of a man who had leprosy
Found 2000 — Shimon Gibson and James Tabor (with Boaz Zissu), after looters broke into the tomb
Where Akeldama, Hinnom Valley, south of the Old City, Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from 1st century CE (radiocarbon 1–50 CE) · Early Roman · Burial customs of Yeshua's time
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority (textile in conservation)
How Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama) was found
A looted tomb in the Hinnom Valley's Akeldama cemetery was found with one sealed loculus (kokh) untouched. Inside was a man's body wrapped in a wool and linen shroud, with hair still preserved. DNA analysis (2009, Hershkovitz, Spigelman and colleagues) showed he had Hansen's disease (leprosy) and tuberculosis — the earliest proven case of leprosy in the region.
What it is
Fragments of a plain-weave wool shroud with a separate linen face cloth, wrapping a man's skeleton in a sealed niche of a wealthy family's tomb. The weave is simple two-way, unlike the complex twill of the Shroud of Turin.
Why it matters for the Bible
It shows exactly how a Jerusalem body was wrapped for burial in Yeshua's day: a body shroud plus a separate face cloth, matching John 20:6-7, where Peter sees the linen cloths and the face cloth folded apart. It also proves that people with leprosy lived, and were buried honorably, in Jerusalem's upper class, giving context to the Gospel healings. Its weave differs from the Turin shroud, which some cite as evidence against that cloth's 1st-century date.
The Hebrew word: tsa-RA-at
צָרַעַת
צָרַעַת is pronounced tsa-RA-at and means the skin disease of Leviticus 13, traditionally 'leprosy' (Strong's H6883).
People this discovery connects to
- Yeshua (Jesus) — יֵשׁוּעַ (Ye-SHOO-ah) — YHVH saves
Places
- Akeldama (Field of Blood) — חֲקַל דְּמָא (Cha-KAL de-MA) — field of blood (Aramaic)
Events
Burial of Yeshua · Healing of lepers · Judas' field (Acts 1:19)
Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama) in Scripture
Acts 1:19 Akeldama, the Field of Blood, is the cemetery where this tomb lies.
Questions people ask
What is Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama)?
Fragments of a plain-weave wool shroud with a separate linen face cloth, wrapping a man's skeleton in a sealed niche of a wealthy family's tomb. The weave is simple two-way, unlike the complex twill of the Shroud of Turin.
When was Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama) discovered?
It was found in 2000 by Shimon Gibson and James Tabor (with Boaz Zissu), after looters broke into the tomb, at Akeldama, Hinnom Valley, south of the Old City, Jerusalem.
Where is Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama) today?
Israel Antiquities Authority (textile in conservation).
Which Bible verses does Tomb of the Shroud (Akeldama) relate to?
Acts 1:19.
Related discoveries
- תָּלָהYehohanan's Crucified Heel BoneThe only physical remains of a Roman crucifixion victim from Judea, with the iron nail still in place
- בֵּית לֶחֶםBethlehem: Church of the NativityConstantine's basilica over the cave of Yeshua's birth, its 4th-century mosaics and the 2013–2020 restoration
- 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
- חֲזִירKursi (Gergesa)Byzantine monastery on the eastern shore marking the miracle of the swine
- נֵצֶרNazareth 1st-Century HouseSimple dwellings showing Nazareth was a small Jewish village in Yeshua's day
- חֶסֶדPool of BethesdaTwin pools with five porticoes beside the Church of St Anne, exactly as John 5 describes
Sources
- Matheson, Vernon, Spigelman, Gibson et al., 'Molecular Exploration of the First-Century Tomb of the Shroud in Akeldama, Jerusalem', PLOS ONE 4:12 (2009)
- Gibson, The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence (2009)