The Empty Tomb

This year Lois and I had the privilege of going to the Holy Land and visiting Golgotha and the Empty Tomb.

One of my life’s highlights was at the tomb. I realized that there was a group from Bob Jones university who would be of like mind and heart. I suddenly burst into song singing, “I serve a risen savior!” They all, immediately joined in and a 45 year old lady with an awesome voice stood up and accompanied me. We finished with a grand rendition of HE LIVES, HE LIVES! I believe that the Lord was pleased and I felt a real kinship with the greater church. I will never see that lady again till we sing together in Heaven, but how glorious to know that what happened at the empty tomb saved us both and makes us all ONE in Christ!

The traditional site of the crucifixion and burial just does not make sense. Yes, it may have been outside the walls but that would have required a path for the wall that would have been harder to defend, so it was probably inside. It was due west of the Holy of Holies. Smell from decaying corpses there would be carried by the prevailing winds right across the temple. Plus the “hill” was far back from the main road which would have ruined the point of crucifixion which was to impress the common people with the need to obey Rome. It is claimed that it was the place of the skulls from the previous crucifixions. The Bible is clear that Jesus was crucified at the place of the skull, singular. Besides, Jewish people never left pieces of people lying around above ground and crucifixion does not result in skulls. Also the west side of Jerusalem would have been crowded with passover pilgrims and there would have been no room for a crucifiction.

No, Jesus was crucified near the road that exits Jerusalem at what was the Fish Gate and is now called the Damascus Gate. Roads to Joppa, Damascus, and Jericho start there and it was the traditional spot for executions. There were no pilgrim booths because the north side was reserved for Samaritans who did not come to Jerusalem. The spot of execution was just 250 yards from the Damascus gate. Even the Jewish leaders used it to stone people. (The first martyr, Stephan, was stoned there) There is a “skull” escarpment just above the place of crucifixion. Mount Moriah was quarried starting at the city wall northward from the temple. This left a large flat place for crowds to stand and jeer at Christ and passersby on the road could join in. The quarry formed a cliff that looked like a skull for a backdrop to executions. This quarry was not used after the time of the Maccabees and would have been there at the time of Christ. Even more persuasive to me is the fact that the spot where my Lord was crucified is now under a city bus parking lot. God seems to have gone out of his way to prevent people from worshiping the dirt and stones rather than worshiping him. (All the truly important spots are rather neglected.) To the left of the skull face and carved into the cliff are three rectangular recesses which would have held placards in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew announcing the crimes of the people being crucified. A small enough sign to fit on a cross would not have been visible on the road. Carved into the bedrock beneath these are three holes to hold the bases of the crosses.

The peak of Mount Moriah (Mount Zion) is not located in the Dome of the Rock but above the place of the skull. This is higher up the same mountain and probably where Abraham was willing to offer up his only son. Genesis 22:8,14

This spot is due north of the alter in the temple, as required by the rules of the Old Testament. Leviticus 1:10,11

They took him down and placed him in a nearby tomb.John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the garden a new sepulcher. Cliff face was scarce in Jerusalem but it remained undeveloped until a rich man. (Joseph of Arimathea) bought the area immediately west of Golgotha. It would have been cheap due the the nearby executions and the area being dedicated to the Samaritans. He put a garden on the flat area and then started to hew out a tomb on his cliff face. Matthew 25:57-60, Isaiah 53:9. The garden tomb is in a rich man’s garden with cisterns and wine presses and only one tomb. It was “hewn” into the side of a cliff. Everything points to him being a rich excentric who would naturally do things differently than his peers. Having a garden and tomb near a place of execution, building it with two rooms next to each other left and right not front and back, and with benches like the older rich men’s tombs nearby.

The boundary of the garden faces the “place of the skull”

It is close to the city but outside the walls

It is clearly a Jewish tomb, oriented towards the temple and built like other rich men’s tombs nearby.

A Jewish archeologist wrote a paper explaining why this can’t be Jesus’ tomb, but all his points prove that it is!

t was a new tomb Luke 23:53, Matthew 27:60, John 19:41. Usually the walls were “combed” with metal rakes, but this one was still unfinished and so uncombed. The existing cavity in the receptacle at the tomb’s NE corner and the absence of this cavity in the SE receptacle, as well the unfinished groove toward the north end of the west wall, show clearly that this tomb was never completed.

It is not a natural cave but was cut out of the solid bedrock, “Hewn out of the rock: Luke 23:53 Matthew 27:60, Mark 15:46, 163,,4< Luke 24:2

A tall rolling stone covered the entrance Matthew 2769, 282, Mark 15:46, 16:3,4 Luke 24:2 A rolling stone was a clear sign of it being a rich man’s tomb. The tomb has a channel outside the front wall. It is the only rolling stone tomb that is next to Golgotha. The original doorway was lower than it is today, as the disciples had to stoop to look into and enter the tomb. However, it would have required a large rolling stone as the Bible states. One “archeologist” opines that the beveling of the retaining wall would have made a stone unsupported so it has to have another purpose. He forgets that would not apply to a stone that was flat on the bottom and then beveled to roll along the angle of the low wall, thus greatly increasing its stability. There are many examples of such stones at other tombs. Or, even more likely, it was beveled later to make it easier for animals to drink out of it. Also, the low wall fits the story of the angel sitting on top of the stone after rolling it back. Many of these stones are buried in tall walls and could not be sat upon.

The door must be so low that a disciple would have to stoop to look in but be able to see that Jesus was not there. (This fits the garden tomb not other tombs of the day.) To save cliff face, tombs of Jesus’ time, were built with a front room for mourners and the body resting place deeper in. This one has a room to enter and the room for the body is to the right and fully visible.

Inside, the first room is large with space for several mourners. Luke 2:41-4,10

The burial chamber is on the right side as you enter the tomb’s weeping chamber which is unusual but fits the Bible account. Mark 16:5

The burial place was fully visible from the entrance John 20:51-52 Luke24:12

The full length of the body could be seen and there was enough space for an angel to be seen from the entrance room, sitting on the right side John 20:5-9, Matthew 28:5-8Mark 16:5-8

There were no provisions for multiple family bodies because the tomb was not finished and no one had decomposed there.

Indeed, the garden tomb is not like tombs of Jesus’ time, but tombs of Jesus’ time do not fit the Biblical narrative. First, the ordinary tombs were room in front and back not side by side. Next, they contained shafts at right angles to the room, to stuff the corpse in. This is known as a Kokhim tomb. Jesus’ tomb had long expensive benches to place the corps on. The fact that two angels were seen sitting on the bench beyond where Jesus’ head and feet lay, confirms that his was a Loculus tomb as this clearly is.

So, according to John 19:41,42, we must find 1. a place of the skull with 2. a rich man’s garden close by 3. in the garden a new unused, unfinished tomb. These are all met in the garden tomb. The chances of another tomb fitting all these details like a glove, is zero. No other tomb has been found that comes close.

Lastly, it is gloriously empty! Oh death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? For the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law, which I could never keep. BUT thanks be to GOD which gives me the victory through my Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

In the words of Alfred Henry “A. H.” Ackley Sung for God’s glory at the garden tomb.

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today I know that He is living, whatever men may say I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer And just the time I need Him, He’s always near Refrain: He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart. In all the world around me I see His loving care And tho’ my heart grows weary, I never will despair I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast The day of His approaching will come at last Refrain Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King! The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find None other is so loving, so good and kind.