The ancient cave believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ has been scientifically dated to hundreds of years earlier than previously thought.
National Geographic reported the test performed on mortar between the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab built over it show the tomb is dated to 345 A.D. Scientists had expected the dating process to reveal a structure dating back to the Crusades, around 1000 A.D., as previous tests showed.
A team from the National Technical University of Athens tested the mortar and also used ground-penetrating radar and laser scanning to evaluate the site, at which the Romans were believed to have torn down a temple in 325 A.D. and built a shrine and church thereafter.
A church was built on the tomb site in the Constantine era, but was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries.
Scientists say it is archeologically impossible to verify the tomb was the actual burial place of Jesus, but many Christians believe it to be.
Three different denominations — Roman Caltholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Orthodox — have squabbled over the management of the site for centuries, and took from 1959 to 2016 to decide how to conserve and restore the tomb area, known as the Edicule, National Geographic archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert said.
The chosen team was the same one that restored the Acropolis in Athens, NBC News reported.
“There is so much information in the data that was collected by the restorers during the conservation project,” Heibert said. “There are many, many stories still to be told.”
Twitter had plenty of skeptics ready to poke holes in the findings.
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