Story by Ethan Carter
Under the hallowed stones of the Holy Sepulchre, archaeologists have found evidence of a garden full of olive and grapevines, mirroring the description in the Gospel of John: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla, who is heading the excavation, said, “The archaeobotanical data have been particularly fascinating to us, given what is written in the Gospel of John, which is believed to have been written or compiled by someone who knew Jerusalem then.” The Gospel refers to a green section between Calvary and the tomb, and we recognized these fields of cultivation. The overlap between religious scripture and scientific find is thrilling hearts and minds, providing a concrete connection between the Gospels’ world and our own below.