Archaeologists believe that they have indeed uncovered the site of the trial of Jesus Christ, located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is believed that this location was where Jesus may have been tried before his crucifixion, and now it’s open for all of the public to see.
The Huffington Post reports that the site in the Old City is within walking distance of the Christian Quarter and Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Tradition and history states that is where Jesus Christ is buried.
Due to lack of funding, the trial site has been sealed off for the past 14 years, but it was originally uncovered back around 1999. There was a large excavation done over the period of a couple of years under an abandoned prison building in the Tower of David Museum grounds.
Not only was the possible trial site of Jesus Christ located during these excavations, but also the palace of King Herod. In the trial room, though, in the Old City, it is believed that is where Pontius Pilate tried Jesus before he was crucified on the cross.
Amit Re’em, an archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said King Herod’s palace was erected at the end of the first century B.C.
“It was enormous, with a lot of gold and silver and running water and guest quarters.”
Tours organized by the museum will now allow the public to see the possible trial site of Jesus Christ in the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time ever. Re’em headed the excavation years ago and knows that the opening of it to the public will help so many, per the Chicago Tribune .
“[The prison] is a great part of the ancient puzzle of Jerusalem and shows the history of this city in a very unique and clear way.”
Re’em knows that the building has brought forth numerous discoveries over centuries and help piece together more of history. The archaeologist also knows that the uncovering of the trial site of Jesus Christ gives even more hope to the more than one million Christians visiting the Old City of Jerusalem each year.
Symbols are etched into the jail walls by prisoners from the Jewish resistance back in the 1940s. There are basins around that were used to dye fabrics during the time of the Crusades and even an ancient underground sewage system has been found.
The Old City of Jerusalem has had this site of Jesus Christ’s trial known for a decade and a half, but it had to remain hidden. Now, the public can view it and see the wonders of history in front of their eyes.
[Image via Tower of David Museum and Ruth Eglash/ Washington Post ]