Public get first glimpse of Jesus’ tomb after restoration

         Christian clergymen and other guests attend a ceremony next to the Edicule 

The public has been given a first glimpse of Jesus’ tomb after a recent refurbishment. 
 The site, known as the Edicule, sits over the spot where Christians believe Jesus’ body was buried.  It is situated in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and was presented to the public on Monday after several months of restoration works.
It is more than 200 years since the last restoration at the site after the fire.
The project was led by professor Antonia Moropolou from the National Technical University of Athens and worked to reinforce and conserve the site.

The restored Edicule is seen during a ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Picture: EPA/SEBASTIAN SCHEINER / POOL)

       Christian priests look at a ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

The site is managed by the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches which all contributed £2.3 million to the project.
King Abdullah of Jordan is also understood to have made a personal donation, according to the  The tomb contains the limestone shelf on which it is believed that Christ’s body was laid to rest but researchers also found a marble shelf, believed to date to the 12th Century.
Archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert of National Geographic, which was a partner in the project, said: ‘The shrine has been destroyed many times by fire, earthquakes, and invasions over the centuries. We didn’t really know if they had built it in exactly the same place every time.
‘But this seems to be visible proof that the spot the pilgrims worship today really is the same tomb the Roman Emperor Constantine found in the 4th century and the Crusaders revered. It’s amazing.
‘When we realised what we had found my knees were shaking a little bit.’