Scientists and restorers have uncovered the slab of limestone on which the body of Jesus Christ was laid in a tomb after his death.
During a restoration project at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City section of Jerusalem, scientists uncovered the stone and are now studying and analyzing it, reports National Geographic.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses the Edicule, which means "little house" in Latin. The Edicule is a small structure that contains Christ's burial tomb.
National Geographic reports the limestone burial slab has been covered by marble since at least 1555, but probably for centuries before that.
"The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it," said archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert of the National Geographic Society.
"It will be a long scientific analysis, but we will finally be able to see the original rock surface on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid."
The current Edicule was built in 1808-1810, according to National Geographic, after a fire destroyed the previous one. Scientists from the National Technical University of Athens are restoring the tomb and the Edicule itself, which is crumbling and is not structurally sound.
The restoration project involves drilling titanium bolts into the foundation to keep the cupola atop the Edicule from collapsing.
Jerusalem's Old City is home to the Western Wall, Temple Mount, and other sacred sites.
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