Renovating the tomb of Jesus
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem contains two of the holiest sites in Christianity: the spot where the cross was raised, and what’s believed to be the tomb of Jesus. Now, for the first time in 200 years, the site will undergo much-needed renovations.
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- A Greek team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- In this Friday, May 18, 2012 file photo, Greek Orthodox priests hold liturgy outside the tomb of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem. A team of experts is set to begin a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic, File)
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- Christian nuns watch as a team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- Christian nuns watch as a team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- Christian nuns watch as a team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- Christian nuns watch as a team of experts begin the renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- A Greek team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- A Greek team of experts begin renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- A Greek expert works on the renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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- A Greek worker, part of team of experts, begins renovation of Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s old city, Monday, June 6, 2016. A team of experts has begun a historic renovation at the spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, overcoming longstanding religious rivalries to carry out the first repairs at the site in over 200 years. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The site is jointly controlled by various Christian denominations, with the Roman Catholics having one wing, the Armenian Orthodox another, the Syriacs and the Russian Orthodox Church laying claim to another. Under a set of agreements known as the Status Quo, each of the orders must agree to any change to Church property — leading to situations such as the Immovable Ladder, which has stayed in one place for hundreds of years.
So naturally, it’s a pretty big deal that the Church is now undergoing renovations. In fact, it’s the first time it’s happened in 200 years. According to AP, the work, which began June 6, was made possible by a rare agreement among Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Armenians, and is a reflection of the dire need for such work. Last year, the Israeli police briefly shut down the building after antiquities experts deemed it unsafe.
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